Gossip Girl: All Over Again (TNG)
by TheDarkTrenchCoat
Summary: The next generation of Upper East Siders are ready to have their turn with the lies, scandal, schemes and secrets of Manhattan. Gossip Girl is back and more brutal than ever, so who will be first on her target list? Canon pairings include Chair and Serenate.
1. The (not so) Sweet End of Summer

**AN: The story of TNG of Gossip Girl. Fair warning if you are a fan of Dan Humphrey, you may want to go back now. However, canon pairings include Chair and Serenate. **

**Enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 1: The (not so) Sweet End of Summer**

_**Spotted: H, **stumbling into his limo, drunk off his Bass on his way home. Are vampires in this season? Henry seems to think so. He hasn't been seen in daylight since his return to New Haven, only in the dark in clubs, the hotel bar and in his room by sunrise. Is he allergic to the sun, or memories of his ex?_

Henry scowled at the blast, sitting on the floor of his hotel room, a glass of scotch in one hand, his phone in the other. He thought New Haven would make it easier to get over her. But Gossip Girl was dead set against that. He hadn't even done anything wrong. Accusations of infidelity, she refused to believe him. Maybe he was the son of the once great hedonist Chuck Bass, but that didn't make him a cheater. His father had changed, why couldn't people simply believe that he didn't have to, he was never like that.

He had tried to convince her. He'd said he loved her. The only girl who he'd loved tossed out what they had. Once upon a time he's decided to stop playing games and start winning. What happened only proved that it was the biggest mistake he'd ever made. What had he been thinking?

You couldn't win the game like that. You could just keep playing until the other person submitted, that was winning. Mutual submission results in a draw. A draw is worse than losing. He'd rather have kept playing till he won the old fashioned way.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_"Ash," he greeted happily as he entered the penthouse. She looked upset. "Hey, what's the matter?"_

_Glancing up from her phone, he could see her eyes aflame. That was never good, he hadn't seen that look on her face since…_

_"What the fuck, is this, Henry?"_

_He looked at the phone. At the picture that so enraged her. It was him, at the opening night of Van Des, Bass Industries newest club. Henry looked happy with a drink in one hand, surrounded by burlesque dancers. He read the post below, not knowing what to expect if it made Ashley this upset._

_**Spotted:** **H **at Van Des. Enjoying himself, a little too much, maybe? My sources tell me he spent an awful lot of time in the restroom, following out a fellow dancer. What about **A, **Henry? Or have you moved on to bigger and burlesquier things?_

_He glanced up from the post, looking incredulous, Ashley still looked upset and angry at the same time._

_"You don't really believe this do you?" She said nothing. "Come on, Ash. This is Gossip Girl. You can't really expect that all her sources are accurate."_

_Her eyes dropped down to her feet and he stepped closer. "Hey, look at me. I love you, only you okay. Nothing happened."_

_She began to shake her head quickly. "No, no, Henry. I saw the pictures okay," she held up her phone to show him those of him walking out of the restroom with the dancer in front._

_"Those don't mean anything. We just walked out at the same time."_

_"Are you seriously saying this?"_

_"Yes! Yes, I'm saying it because it's true!" Henry was beginning to lose his temper. They'd been going out nearly four years and all of a sudden she didn't trust him? What was happening?_

_"I can't do this Henry." She broke the silence._

_"Can't do this? Can't do what?" his anger almost dissipated into panic in that moment. "Us?"_

_"Henry you should go."_

_"I would never do this to you. You know me," he felt his voice drain away. "I could never do this, especially not to you. I would never hurt you like this, you have to believe me," his voice became even more quiet. "Why don't you believe me?" _

_No response._

_"Ash-"_

_"Please!" she snapped before growing softer. "Henry...maybe we should just...be apart."_

_"You wanna throw away everything we've built over a stupid rumor?"_

_"Henry!" she nearly yelled. And then her voice grew quiet again, as if a silent apology. "Leave. Please."_

_He took a step back and looked at the ground. If she was willing to throw everything away over this, then clearly she didn't think they were worth fighting for. He wasn't going to do everything in this relationship, himself. It took two people to make it work and he wasn't going to do it by himself. He was twenty years old now, he didn't have time to play these games and more than that, he was Henry Bass. He wasn't going to beg at her feet like a dog. _

_"Fine." Henry said firmly as he headed towards the elevator, a dull ache present in his chest. "Fine," he mumbled as the doors opened, he paused before stepping in to take one last look and say one last thing._

_"Clearly our relationship isn't something worth salvaging."_

_The doors closed as he stepped in and taking a deep breath, he held himself in. He wouldn't cry, he wouldn't tear up. If she didn't want them, then screw it! Neither did he._

* * *

That has been two months ago.

But in the limo, at home, on the flight back, in his hotel room, the dull ache still resonated in his chest. No matter how hard he'd tried to drown it out. The reminder only filled him with copious amounts of anger as he hurled the phone against the wall, will a loud thump and shattered it into a hundred pieces.

Just like his heart.

No, he wouldn't think like that. Taking another swig from the bottle, Henry slowly felt the pain dull away. It would be back soon, but he could keep dulling it. There was no full proof magical cure. Only constant treatment would heal his pain.

The darkness in the room was actually comforting. The drapes shut. The door closed, the lights off. Nobody could see him, nobody could hurt him. He would lurk in the shadows and win every game he played. The light exposed you, left people to see your weaknesses, your vulnerabilities. It was a mistake he'd never make again, going to the light.

Draining the last of the bottle, Henry rested the back of his head on the coffee table and stared up at the ceiling, his eyes gradually growing shut. So he didn't hear the footsteps approaching the door, its opening. He didn't notice anything until….

"Rise and shine, nephew!" A booming voice called as the curtains were pulled open, exposing Henry to vast amounts of sunlight, causing him to shield his eyes.

"What the hell?" Henry groaned. Not moving from his position. However after blinking several times, he caught sight of the sandy blonde hair, devilish face and mischief in his eyes, Henry only knew it could be one person.

"Milo," he groaned.

"That's Uncle Milo to you, Hen," he smirked. He began directing some of the maids to clean this and that up, hit the lights, clear away some things.

"Don't call me Hen!" he snapped. "I'm Henry Bass, nobody else."

"My bad, nephew," Milo replied unapologetic. Henry glared. "What? I am your uncle."

"Step uncle."

Milo scoffed. "Look, I'm taking time off Kyan for this. You need help, I'm helping," he picked up the empty bottle of scotch lying next to Henry on the ground.

"Go back to New York, to your club and leave me alone," Henry scoffed. He didn't want other people around. No one could see him like this, especially not Milo Sparks. Least of all Milo Sparks in fact.

"You look like shit."

"Look who's talking, Sparks."

"Get in the shower, Bass." Milo gestured to the bathroom.

Henry stayed and pouted like a petulant child. Milo took a few struts into the bathroom, Henry, assuming he'd given up, stumbled around, trying to find another bottle of liquor as Milo proceeded to pour water on his head.

The cold instantly took Henry put of his state and enraged he jumped to his feet.

"WHAT THE HELL?"

"Good," Milo smirked, feeling awfully smarmy. "You're soaked, get in the shower."

Henry cursed at Milo under his breath before begrudgingly stepping into the bathroom. Once the door was locked and the water was running for a few minutes, Milo picked up his phone and inputted the number.

"How's it going?"

"He's in the shower."

"That's a good sign," there was a pause on the other end and then, reluctantly, "Thank you for doing this."

"My pleasure," Milo hung up.

* * *

Blair put down her phone. The last thing that she had wanted was to have to go to Milo Sparks for help with her son, but he was living in his own world. She knew him, drinking, sex and staying drunk were all that mattered to him while he was like this.

Milo was the only person she knew who could bring him out of it. Blair could be a bitch when she wanted, but she'd always had a soft spot for her children and knew she hadn't had the ruthlessness to kick him while he was down. Even if it was so he could stand up again.

Her memory drifted back to the day he'd returned to the townhouse, utterly upset, fighting back tears. Her heart broke for her son as she'd comforted him like she hadn't since he was a child.

* * *

**_Flashback_**

_Henry took a few steps into the townhouse. His hair was a mess, his teeth had possession of his lower lip, she could tell he was fighting back tears. He looked as if he'd experienced pain beyond his years, yet he looked as vulnerable and innocent and hurt as a small child._

_"Henry, what's wrong?" she stood instantly. Chuck, who was next to her, shared an equally concerned look as their son to a few slow steps forward. _

_"She broke up with me," Henry whispered. "She doesn't think we're worth it."_

_Blair quickly walked forward and wrapped her arms around her son. He bit back tears once again, burying his head in the crook of his mother's neck –a mannerism like his fathers' –and sank into the hug. Chuck quickly jumped to his son's aid and put his hand on his shoulder and stroked it soothingly._

_"I'm so sorry, Henry," he said hushed. "It's going to be okay," he promised. _

* * *

"Dorota!" she called out, shaking off the memory. "Make sure Luke and Charlotte are ready for brunch!"

"Yes Miss Blair," came Dorota's voice.

"Blair," her husband drawled from his place next to her in the living room. "I don't know about Milo…"

"I didn't want to have to resort to it, but he's been in pretty bad shape, Chuck," she said. He nodded in response. "I want him to get back on his feet, but he's stuck in a lurch."

"Bass men never have been much good in a lurch," Chuck mused.

* * *

"You're ready on time," Lucas Bass commented to his sister as she strolled into the kitchen. "That's new."

Charlotte Bass was the apple of their father's eye. With her mother's chocolate curls, a nice body and an impeccable taste in clothing, she won most people over with her beauty and charm. This of course came from an odd yet somehow amazing combination of Blair Waldorf's doe eyes and Chuck Bass' signature smirk. As of right now, she was dressed in white top and pale green bottom dress that went up to her knees, matching heels and of course a matching headband with a bow on it.

She cocked her head to the side and examined her older brother. He, in turn was dressed in a navy blue suit, with a checkered grey and white shirt underneath and a dark purple bow-tie to top of his combination. Lucas was seventeen, just a year older than her and resembled their father stronger than any of them. Her mother had joked that had she not given birth to him, she would believe that Chuck made Lucas on his own.

"And you're drinking," she replied coolly, referring to the glass of scotch in his hand. "I thought Mom said not to drink before brunch."

"Are you going to tell on me?" he quirked an eyebrow. "Besides, of the both of us, I would've thought you should be the one drinking."

"And why is that?" she questioned, with a raised brow.

"Well I figured after your breakup with Lord…what was his name again?"

She shrugged halfheartedly.

Lucas smirked, he knew his sister well enough. "Already forgot?"

"It wasn't worth remembering."

"You're not heartbroken?" he replied sarcastically, knowing full well his sister preferred to use guys as toys or tools. They were fun…for a while and they could help you get what you wanted, but eventually you grow out of them and move on to bigger and better things.

"Mr. Lucas!" Dorota came into the kitchen and snapped at him. "You're mother said no drink before brunch!"

"I'm sorry, Dorota," he replied, appearing genuinely sincere.

"Have you heard from Henry?" Charlotte asked her brother, generally concerned about the eldest Bass siblings well being.

Lucas shook his head. "Just what's on Gossip Girl. He's not coping so well and he won't return my calls."

"Mr. Henry just like your father," Dorota interjected. "Don't know how to deal with heartache. Especially if it's from the right girl for him."

"Hmm," Lucas mused as he moved the glass towards his mouth to take another, sip of scotch and had it promptly snatched away by the family's faithful maid and friend, before he could drink.

"No drink before brunch," she repeated.

"Why? I'll probably need it," he remarked.

"What's the problem? I thought you'd be thrilled to see Nick," Charlotte questioned.

"Oh, it's not Nicholas I'm worried about. It's that stepbrother of his."

* * *

Brunch was a time honored tradition in the Upper East Side. Today, the role of hosting had fallen to Mr. and Mrs. Archibald, Nate and Serena, to the Basses.

The Archibald Penthouse was, like its residents, perfect at a glance. Between the polished wood it was what every Upper East household strived to become, yet it had a very "real" feeling to it, it was homey. The Basses entered, dressed perfectly of course and were greeted by Serena and Nate.

After two years of marriage to Dan, Serena had become unhappy with him and the two had gotten a divorce, of course not before they'd had a son together. After a few months, she had reunited with Nate, who at the time had been mourning the loss of his wife Emily for a year and had a hard time juggling his campaign for mayor and being an active father to his one year old son. It wasn't a year before they were married and shortly after, Serena had become pregnant with their daughter. Now, the two were happier than ever.

Seated at their table already, Lucas strolled towards his best friend, Nick Archibald. Nick was Nate's son from his first marriage to California's own 'Golden Girl' Emily Hawthorne. His mother had died when he was just a year old, but since his father had married Serena when he was young, he considered her his mother. Nick had blonde hair and striking dark blue eyes. Dressed in a grey suit and plain black tie, he cleaned up nicely, and his hair was combed back, but still a little ruffled.

"Nicholas," Lucas greeted, taking a seat next to his best friend. "How've you been?"

"Alright," he nodded. "Not ready for school," he admitted.

"I'm thinking about some fresh air," Lucas smirked.

Nick smiled and shook his head lightly in response. "Maybe later."

"Very well. I have my one hitter."

The two had been best friends, practically since they had been in diapers. They had made the perfect duo since they started attending to school in building the perfect, closed circuit circle of friends? Allies? Whatever it was, it was the closest thing St. Judes had to monarchy since Henry's reign as king when he had attended.

Nick was –like his father – the golden boy. Captain of the lacrosse team, handsome, athletic and an all around nice guy from a prominent political family, he attracted people wherever he went. Nick was easy going and friendly could easily take the title of hero without a second thought, which his friend didn't mind at all. No, Lucas left all the hero and white knightly-ness to Nick, who seemed to be perfectly happy with it.

Lucas, on the other hand, held the role of the dark prince with the bright eyes. Embodying the signature Chuck Bass looks, along with the same allure, penchant for manipulation and playboy attitude. While Nick was an all around nice guy, Lucas always had a slight aura of darkness and mischief and scheming present in his eyes. People wanted in because of Nick, but they stayed for Lucas. With that, the pair had been unstoppable.

The two talked for a while, before Samantha Reynolds took a seat next to Nick. Her father, Ted Reynolds was a prominent businessman with family ties to the political world. Lucas observed slyly at her flirty banter with Nick.

"You look great, Nick," she smiled brightly.

"You too, Sam. It's been far too long," he replied with his own smile. "How was your summer?"

Between her touching his arm, the laughter and private jokes. Lucas smirked and took a drink from his glass, continuing to observe the two. A little later, she had been called away by her father to meet some people, where in which she kissed the blonde boy on the cheek and promised to be right back.

"Something happen I'm not aware of, Nicholas?" Lucas asked his friend, with a smirk playing on his face.

"She's just a friend," he answered, blushing a little.

"I'm sure that's all it is, if being a friend entitles the implication that she wants to get in your bed, which happens to be...there, I believe." Lucas pointed with his head, while, toying with his glass. It was time for a refill.

"We went out a couple of times," he admitted. "My dad's hoping her father will gun for him in the next election."

"And you've taken it upon yourself to ensure he gets another run at being mayor for another term," Lucas patted his friend on the back in mild approval. "Sly move, Archiabld. Though, I must admit, it's a bit translucent, wouldn't you say?"

"It's a nothing serious, I mean it's just been a few dinners and a drink or two. It's not like we've done anything…you know?"

"Anything interesting, yes Nicholas, I gathered," he grinned, signaling for a refill.

* * *

"K! You're back," Charlotte smiled broadly at the sight of her best friend. The two girls shared a hug, as they made their way to the table. "When did you get in?"

"Late last night," she replied. "I slept through most of the morning. I missed you, C," she replied. "I wish you'd have come with me to Paris. It was amazing."

"I'm starting to regret not going," Charlotte relented. "Sounds like it would've been more fun than hanging out with the Lord. And it certainly would have kept things interesting," a Bass smirk began to play on Charlotte's face.

"What are you talking about?"

"You haven't heard?"

"Heard what?"

"Gossip Girl claims you've taken a lover in Paris," Charlotte answered coolly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"What?"

Charlotte wordlessly scrolled through a list of bookmarked Gossip Girl posts on her phone before finding the one she was looking for and reading it out.

"We hear K has spent the summer in Paris with a beautiful boy. Not that we blame her. Where better else to have a romantic rendezvous with a fairy tale over the summer, than in the city of love? But it looks like she's returned to the UES alone. Did things not end happily ever after, **K**?"

"Gossip Girl has it all wrong," Kayla replied, shaking her head. "I went on a few dates in Paris. You know, maybe lunch, walks along the Seine and some macaroons. I'd hardly call that taking a lover."

"Hmmm, for now," she mused and the two engaged in a few laughs on their way to their table.

Kayla Archibald and Charlotte Bass had a friendship, close enough to rival that of their mothers or their brothers. Like their brothers, they had been practically inseparable since they were little. Charlotte had taken over Constance as Queen, with her best friend at her side the whole time. They'd been there for each other through struggles and heartbreak and fun times.

Kayla was the daughter of Nate and Serena. She resembled Serena as much as Lucas resembled Chuck, with the exception of Nate's eyes and nose. She was beautiful, if not always the brightest, but Charlotte knew that her friend had a good heart and it was usually in the right place, usually. Kayla always shared a good relationship with her brother, Nick, but had always held a more distant one with her brother from her mother's first marriage, Oscar Humphrey.

The two passed him on their way to the table to join the others. Unlike most of the guest, Oscar chose to dress as minimally as possible. He wore a plain, button down pale blue shirt, with a grey sweater vest over the top and a red tie, much to his reluctance. Oscar didn't like ties, he found them too constricting.

"Hello, Oscar," Kayla greeted her brother out of politeness. "How was your summer?"

"Okay," he nodded, without much else to say. He wasn't a talker. But she was his sister, so he added. "Yours?"

"Good. Paris was wonderful."

"Yeah? So was Brooklyn."

Oscar Humphrey was Dan and Serena's son. His parents had gotten divorced when he was very young and he'd ended up spending half his time in Brooklyn and the other half on the UES with the Archibalds. Initially, he hadn't seemed to have a problem with it, until one day he became brooding and bitter. He'd started to think that it was Nate's fault his parents couldn't have a happy marriage. The sudden change into a brooding and bitter introvert had most of his friends at school ostracize him, which was fine with Oscar, because he preferred to read Fitzgerald and write by himself.

* * *

"Ah, he's emerged!" Milo dramatically stated as Henry made his way out of the bathroom.

Henry finally looked like himself, well more like himself. His hair was combed neatly and parted to its original style, with his wavy dark hair, just edging on his forehead. He was handsome and had the most mixed features from his parents. Blair's eyes, Chuck's hair, Blair's nose, Chuck's jaw, Blair's forehead, Chuck's lips. The list went on and it had always been a debate ever since he was little about who he resembled more. But he did look more handsome cleaned up and fresh, than he did ragged and drunk for days.

He was wearing a striped purple and white shirt, with the sleeves rolled up and black pants (casual wear in the world of Henry Bass) and his father's old signature scarf. He wore it when he felt…lost? Hurt? Anyway, whatever he was feeling now, he wore it as a source of comfort.

"You realize it's barely the end of summer?" Milo prodded, referring to the scarf.

"You realize I don't care," he grumbled.

He might have cleaned up, but he was still hungover.

"So," Milo took a seat on the chair opposite to Henry's and perched his feet up on the table. "What's the deal with you missing class and drinking and doing different women all day?" Henry shot him a half bemused, half quizzical look. "Not that I don't approve," Milo added. "Because that does sound like a lot of fun. But it's not very…Henry of you."

"I don't need your help, Milo," he scowled.

"I'm just looking out for your best interests, nephew," he drawled out. "Some girl breaks up with you and you turn into a Goddamn mess. That Hamilton girl must've been a firecracker in bed, huh?"

Henry almost spat back a remark to wipe the smug look off of Milo's face. But before he could, the older guy not handed him his phone that had just gone off.

"What is this?" he bit back a snarl.

"Just read, dear nephew."

_**Spotted: A, **checking into the Ostroff Center. We thought her breakup with **H **was because of a busty burlesque dancer, but is there something more to it? Everyone knows Ostroff is only for the disturbed or the addicted. So what's **A**'s big secret? I'll be sure to keep you posted._

* * *

**AN: Hope you enjoyed that ,and please review to tell me what you think and if I should continue. Please go easy, it's my first fanfic. **


	2. School's In (and so are secrets)

**AN: Thanks to you guys who reviewed the last chapter. Also I forgot to mention last chapter that Serena and Nate are pregnant again. I'm glad you enjoyed last chapter and I hope you enjoy this one too. **

* * *

**Chapter 2: School's In (And so are secrets) **

_**Spotted: C, **preparing for the return of her reign. Who needs to come home with man, when you can come home to a crown? _

"I love the first day back," Lucas smiled proudly, adjusting his blazer and straightening his tie as he watched a barrage of transfer students from Knightly check into the school office. "The transfer students are so...fresh."

Nick rolled his eyes and glanced up from his phone. "Whatever you say, man."

"And who," he snatched Nick's phone from the boy's hands before the blonde had a chance to protest. "Are you texting?" he grinned as he observed the contact listed on top of the message. "Great, see you tonight, smiley face, exclamation point," he read out before tossing the phone back to his buddy.

"That's private, Luke," Nick complained.

"As private as Michelle Wyatt?" he questioned. "Raymond Wyatt's daughter?"

"What's it to you?"

"Nothing, just that Samantha Reynolds's will be heartbroken. You really should break the news to her, Nicholas," Lucas answered coolly.

"Sam and I are just friends," he explained.

"And I'm assuming my position as your best friend is being competed for by Michelle Wyatt?" Lucas quirked a brow. "Come on Nicholas. I know her daddy is a New York state senator. Is that why you didn't notice the red head with an ankle tattoo?"

Nick shook his head incredulously and went back to his phone.

"It's of a snake. She has great taste in animals," he further commented, but his friend seemed so engrossed in his phone, that Lucas nearly slapped it from his hands. "Nicholas! It is the first day of a new school year, I expect you'll at least be eyeing some of these girls."

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I just...my phone is swamped with messages."

"Uncle Nate is a shoe in for the next mayoral election," Lucas replied. "So unless something drastic has happened within the last half hour, I don't think you should be wearing out Little Archibald before the school year even begins."

Nick shook his head and managed a chuckle. "It's nothing like _that,_" he explained. "Only you would think to go that far, that fast."

"Brother!" Charlotte Bass popped seemingly out of nowhere in front of the two. "I need you to do some screening," she passed him a file.

"Who's this?"

"Amaya Briggs, she's hoping to be a minion. I need my screening done. Thoroughly," she demanded before turning to Nick. "And do you have any idea where your sister is?"

"Not a clue."

Charlotte grumbled. "She is supposed to be screening for me." The youngest Bass promptly turned back to her brother. "Can you screen?"

"Don't you have minions for this?"

"Not for screening. That is higher up than even them."

"I'll have it back to you by third period."

"Make it second," she smirked. "And thorough."

"What am I, from Brooklyn?" he smirked back in response. The two shared a Bass smile and a knowing look.

"I'll see you later, Nick," she remarked to her brother's best friend.

"Bye, Charlotte."

* * *

Kayla glanced down at her phone, rubbed her temples and scowled. Another text.

_Wanna share the story?_

"K!" Charlotte burst into the girl's bathroom to see her best friend sitting on the sink counter. "There you are. What are you doing in here?"

"Nothing," she replied hastily, hitting the send button on her phone.

_You must have the wrong number. _

"I had to reassign screening duties to Lucas. You can't possibly been in here for no reason," the brunette crossed her arms over her chest. "Spill."

"Nothing," Kayla replied placing her phone into her bag. "Just redoing my makeup. I smudged some mascara. So, class?"

* * *

"Henry, you can't go back to New York for your ex!" Milo exclaimed.

"Why not?"

"Well, you have class for one thing."

After receiving the news, Henry had been anxious to get back to New York. But Milo had told him to sleep on it over one night, which he did so reluctantly. Now he was up and about and ready to leave. And while Milo tried to convince him to act otehrwise, Henry was stubborn and insisted.

"You're lecturing me about attendance?" Henry rolled his eyes and scoffed at Milo. "How many buildings has Uncle Jack had to donate to St. Judes so you didn't get your ass kicked out for cutting so much?"

"And while I'm sure I was your role model, this is different," Milo retorted. "This is Yale."

"Yeah, and this is Ashley," Henry called out as he returned from his bedroom with a bag, still half open with clothes overflowing.

"You broke up."

"She's in trouble, Sparks!" he stated firmly, not loudly, but some how it felt even more aggressive. "I need to know she's alright."

"She's in rehab, she's not dead."

"You can't stop me, Milo."

"Look, call your PI!" Milo tried to reason. "He'll get all the juicy details and you, nephew, can go back to studying. You're still half hungover."

"This is different," Henry shook his head and patted his pockets before realizing he'd smashed his phone and sighing, before going to pick up the land line phone in the hotel room.

"You should be mad," Milo tried to reason. "You are pissed off, Bass, I know you're pissed off!"

Henry glanced down at the keypad of the phone, the receiver was already at his ear and he was almost ready to dial, before he turned to Milo. "You're right. I am mad, I'm pissed off as hell. But I still care about her and sometimes I wish I didn't." He began to dial.

"Yeah, this is Henry , I need to get New York...When can I leave?..." he glanced at his watch. "I can make that. Send the car."

"You are not being serious," Milo had resorted to blocking the door.

"Look," Henry sighed. "You got me to lay off the scotch for more than two hours, during which I was not sleeping and you got me to take a shower," he began to put on his jacket. "But I'm going. So you can either stay here or you can get in the car with me back to New York and back to your beloved club."

Milo glanced at the younger man and eyed him, before considering his options ans sighing. "Fine. Give me five minutes, first."

"Five minutes," Henry agreed as he watched Milo go into the other room. He then glanced at his outfit. His jacket was the pinstriped black one that he'd wore fairly frequently. It had been one of his favorites back when he was at high school, but something felt off as he patted it down and stumbled across something in the breast pocket.

He removed the jacket and upon closer inspection he saw the small monogrammed pendant, sewn in. It was tiny, gold and he recognized the initials almost immediately and it sent his stomach fluttering and his heart jumping into his throat.

* * *

_Flashback_

_"Well, I have something for you too," she replied easily, before approaching her dresser, picking up a small trinket and sitting back down on the bed beside him. She was so beautiful. He'd miss her so much when the fall came, but they could both commute, spend time with each other over weekends, Skype, talk, text. They'd make it work because they were Henry and Ashley. _

_"You don't have to," he tried to say. _

_"No, you should have this," she said, producing a small gold pendant on a silver chain. It was an ordinary looking pendant. An oval with sharper points at the end. But on it, engraved in a loopy font were her initials. A.H. _

_"I can't take this," he breathed. "I know how much that pendant means to you. It's one of the only things you have from your mother." She'd told him the story before. Ashley's mother had died when she was seven, but had made arrangements for her to receive the pendant once she turned eighteen. It was for her to have her own identity. To be more than a Hamilton, to be Ashley too. _

_"It's yours, Henry," she smiled at him, before glancing down and then looking back up at him. "This...pendant," she toyed with it in her hand. "It's supposed to be a representation of my identity. It's supposed to represent me," she paused. "I know it's not gonna be easy with me here and you in New Haven. But...I'm yours."_

_Henry felt his smile grow as she spoke. _

_"And now you can prove it," Ashley smiled at him and placed the pendant in his hand. _

_"I love you," was all he managed to say, still a little speechless, before placing a soft kiss on her lips. When they finally pulled apart, he smiled broadly. "I'm never going lose this. That way, I'll always have you." _

* * *

The very next day, he'd picked his favorite jacket and had the pendant sewn onto the breast pocket. They had been just eighteen then, preparing for college. Henry had always dreamed of going to Yale, but Ashley had wanted to stay in the city to be close to her brother, Max. She had chosen Columbia and they had promised to make it work.

Had they just been fools?

"Okay," Milo said stepping out of the room and placing his phone inside his pocket. "You wanna go to New York. Let's go."

Henry nodded curtly. "One more thing though. I need to go pick up a new phone."

* * *

The school day had been far too long and yet far too short at the same time. Kayla Archibald found herself back at the Archibald home far too quickly. She'd been hoping school would distract her, but it did nothing as she checked her phone.

_I know. Wanna spill before I say what I know already?_

She frowned. Who did this guy think he was? And what did he know? And how did he know?

_Who are you? _she texted back.

"Kayla!" he mother called out. A very pregnant Serena Archibald stepped into the living room to greet her daughter. Kayla had to admit, she was still a little surprised that her mother, even at eight months pregnant still had the energy to host brunches. Though for now, Serena laid off dinner parties with Nate's fellow politicians, at least till the baby came.

"How was school, sweetheart?" she asked chirpily.

"Fine," Kayla smiled back. School had been fine. But that damn person who kept texting her...

"You aren't at the Basses?" her mother asked. Often Charlotte and Kayla would take turns spending the afternoon at the other's home.

"No, just me. Nick is off with Lucas, though."

"Is something wrong?" Serena questioned. Her daughter seemed a little off today. It was strange.

"Just getting back to school is so..." Kayla paused. "Well, you know." She picked her bag off the floor and started to head into her bedroom. "I should go get started on some homework. Too much to do."

* * *

Oscar liked to brood. He liked to get so lost in thought and complain inside his own head, it was almost...like entering another world for him. His return from school and over the bridge had him brooding all the way.

Fucking Archibalds.

He had to attend the brunches and smile for Nate's campaign sake, because God forbid something damage the golden family. He loosened the tie on his uniform. He hated that too, but Nate's Archibald's stepson just had to attend as good a school as the Archibald children. He wasn't biased because Oscar did not share the same blood as the mayor of New York.

"I know that look," his father approached him. "You're brooding. Lost inside your head?"

"I like being lost inside my head," Oscar replied. "It's the only time I don't have to go around pretending to be happy and part of the golden family all the time."

They really were the golden family. The It-Girl and the Golden Boy's had married and produced the beautiful Golden Girl and were on the way to producing yet another one. He didn't fit in the picture. No, he was the son of the outsider, the one that had wrote a book on all his 'friends' crucifying pretty much everyone of them and never looked back. He was the son of the man who had -for a short time- landed the It-Girl, till she quickly decided that their marriage wasn't for her and moved on.

"I'm working on a new manuscript," Dan interjected, breaking his son's thoughts.

"Oh? What's it on?"

"It's a long story."

"Do we have coffee?" Oscar asked.

"Yeah," Dan made his way to the coffee pot and poured his son a cup. Oscar took a sip and nodded in content. It was black, and bitter and strong. Just exactly how he liked it. That stuff he got in Manhattan was far too smooth. And life wasn't smooth.

"So, the manuscript?"

"It's about my relationship with your mother."

Dan Humphrey had once-upon-a-time been a highly sought after, acclaimed writer. _Inside_ and it's tell all sequel_ Inside Out _had put him on the map, making the New York Times Bestsellers list. But soon after, his well of writer-ly knowledge had dried up. He had resorted to milking his current works and attempting to further them even more by writing and further exposing his 'friends'. This went on and off for a few years, but the nail in the coffin was an almost transparent book on the Basses which cemented Serena's desire for a divorce and a lawsuit from Mr. and Mrs. Bass.

Between the divorce lawyer and the lawyers to prevent him from losing his career, Dan had lost his Manhattan apartment, moved back to Brooklyn and had become on a hunt for a new publicist after his had dropped him due to the lawsuit.

"Yeah?" Oscar raised a brow. Maybe he wasn't a fan of his mother's choices. But she was still his mother and he loved her.

"Well, when we were younger...I finally found a publicist," He stated. "Marcie is great, best of all she has no ties to Chuck Bass," Dan explained. "I figured, you know, my first two books pretty much started from this...Maybe some trends never go out of fashion."

"What are you going to say?" Oscar questioned. "The good or the bad?"

"I'm not trying to hurt your mother, Oscar-"

"I hope not," he interrupted, taking another sip of coffee. "Because she's still my mother."

"I understand that."

"And she's Serena van der Woodsen," he interjected. Serena being his mother was just about the only thing that kept Oscar from experiencing the same school life his father did. His personality and attitude had resulted in a lack of friends, but his blood allowed him decent opportunities.

"Oscar," Dan tried to reason. "What I published about your mother before..." he shook his head. "Never mind. Go get started on your homework."

* * *

"Amaya Briggs is out," Charlotte stated. "Her loyalties sway far too easily. I can't have that. One minute she'll be digging up dirt and the next, she'll try to take the crown for herself."

"You're welcome," Lucas replied, his best friend seated next to him in the limo with his eyes glued on his phone.

"Archibald, what is so important that you have not looked up from that phone since this morning?" Charlotte tutted.

"Just-"

"Girls," Lucas answered for his friend. "Nicholas has taken it upon himself to get his father re-elected next term."

"So you're like a gigolo but for votes instead of cash?"

"Oh ha ha ha," Nick retorted dryly. "I'll have you know that this is all very innocent. Dinner, drinks, coffee," he explained before rolling his eyes. "Geez, is this a Bass thing?"

"Who are you texting now?" Lucas quirked a brow.

"Nicole Edwards, if you must know," Nick sighed in exasperation. "And it's really neither of your business."

Charlotte sighed in exasperation. "Archibald, you don't court every politician in New York's daughter for your father's re-election. You pick the top two on opposing political parties. Everything else will work out after that."

"And perhaps you'll still have some energy by the time you get to school in the morning," Lucas added.

"Top from each party?" Nick asked. "How does that work?"

"It's a good thing you're not king," Charlotte smiled sweetly. "Just do it, it will work."

"And who is the top from-"

"I'll reassign some work to a minion," she relented. "Send me your contact list."

"It's actually kind of-"

"Just do it," Lucas nudged his friend. "Listen to the Queen."

* * *

Traffic had been awful, so it was four o'clock by the time Henry arrived at the Ostroff Center with Milo by his side. He approached the reception desk and politely asked to see her.

"Are you family?" the receptionist asked.

"I'm her...friend."

The receptionist shook her head. "I'm sorry, family only."

"Well," Milo put his hand on Henry's shoulder. "We tried, huh? Maybe another day. If we leave now we can beat the six o'clock traffic back to New Haven," and then he turned to the receptionist. "I've been driving all day, is there a bar near this place?"

She scowled. "This is a treatment center for those with issues including alcohol abuse."

"So...no?"

"Please," Henry turned back. "I'd just like to see her, or maybe you could tell me how she's doing or.."

"I'm sorry, sir. That's confidential."

"Please," Henry decided to turn on the charm. "Henry."

"Okay, Henry," she narrowed her eyes, believing the young man was trying to flirt with her. "I'm sorry but family only."

"Speaking of family, you may be quite familiar with mine. I'm Henry Bass," he spoke. "My family has donated a wing to this treatment center. It's been a help to some of my extended family over the years."

The receptionist looked at the young man more intently. He spoke with a small air of arrogance and smugness, but when she looked into his eyes, she saw the desperation hiding in them.

"Perhaps, I can see what I can do," she decided, checking her computer screen. He nodded ans she tapped a few keys, checked a scheduled timetable, before looking up at the two men. "I'm sorry, Mr. Bass, but Miss Hamilton is currently having a session with Doctor Matthews."

"I'll wait."

"It will be a while."

"I can handle it."

She nodded and gestured to the waiting area as Henry took a seat. Milo reluctantly sat next to him.

"What are you doing? Are you just going to wait for her?" he shook his head. "What about school? Yale? You have a future, Bass. Don't stop your life for some girl who's not into you."

"Don't you have a club to be at?"

Milo shook his head in disbelief. "Why is it the one time I'm trying to be nice, you become a total jackass and do the opposite of everything I say?"

"Why are you even here?" Henry questioned. Milo shook his head and then stood up.

"You can stay here all day and wait for her, I don't care. But I need a drink," he walked over to the elevator exasperated. As the door closed, Henry pulled out his new phone (purchased on their way over) and placed in the seem card he'd managed to save when he killed his old phone. He found a new message and opened it.

Gossip Girl.

He sighed. Who else?

**_Spotted: H _**_at Ostroff. Looks like Henry and his Uncle **M **__took a little visit to see,_** _A_**. _That's a long drive to see your heart breaker, H. But whatever's got A in rehab has got to be good. Serve us the dish please, the tastier the better. _

* * *

**AN: I hope you had fun with that. Please tell me what you think in a review. **


	3. Armed (with a scheme) and Dangerous

**AN: I'm hoping that this chapter does a good enough job of planting seeds for future plot points. Thanks to those who reviewed last chapter, I really appreciate it. Hope you enjoy this. **

* * *

**Chapter 3: Armed (with a scheme) and Dangerous**

_**Spotted: H** back in town and** K** without** C. **It's a strange turn of events, but with any turn of events, there's a reason for it. What's up with** H **and** K**? We'll find out soon enough. _

It had been nearly an hour and Milo had ditched him long ago for a drink, or two, or knowing Milo at least a dozen. He sat in the uncomfortable waiting chair, entertaining himself with a game on his phone. However, he didn't fail to notice the look the receptionist shot him on occasion, he was sure they were half of pity, half of eye rolls.

After what seemed like forever, the receptionist gestured for him to come over.

"Miss Hamilton has just finished Mr. Bass. Room 305."

"Thank you."

Henry strolled into the halls, a nurse sent to accompany him by his side, glancing at the door numbers.

_302, 303, 304..._

He took a deep breath as he glanced at the doorknob that would lead him into the room of his heartbreaker. His heartbreaker who was now in a facility for the disturbed of the addicted. It wasn't exactly ideal and he doubted to an outsider that it made much sense. Mentally steeling himself for whatever he saw, whatever reaction he got on the other side of this door, he would find a way to deal with it.

"Miss Hamilton, you have a visitor," said the nurse politely, before leaving.

She looked up from her position, cross legged on the bed with a book in her hands. Despite everything that happened, Henry still felt his stomach flutter when he saw her. Her bright green eyes looked a little cloudier now and her hair wasn't as styled to it's usual perfection, yet it was perfect in a more simplistic kind of way. She wore a dark green sweater that matched her eyes.

"Henry?"

"Hey, Ash," he swallowed the lump in his throat.

"What are you doing here? How'd you find me?"

"Gossip Girl," he answered simply.

She sighed. "And what are you doing here?"

"I, I wanted to see how you were doing," she seemed puzzled as to why he was here. Why else would he be here?

"Maybe that wasn't such a good idea."

"Ash, come on," he prodded, taking a step forward into the room. "Why are you here?"

"You should leave," she ignored his question, not meeting his gaze.

"No," he answered sternly. "Don't kick me out again, don't shut me out again," he pleaded softly.

She didn't answer.

"I came all the way from New Haven for this."

"Well I'm sorry to keep you," she spat back.

"You know that's not what I meant," he ran his hand through his hair in exasperation. "Come on."

"You're right," she said softly. "You didn't deserve that. But you have a future, a life, Yale. You shouldn't leave it. You should go back."

"I'm not going back till you tell me why you're in here," Henry replied. He was happy she wasn't mad, or at least she didn't seem mad, but he still had to know. His gut wrenched at the thought of her in here.

"It's got nothing to do with us. I don't want to bring you into my...screwed up problems."

"I...I wanna be here, Ash," he wanted to take a seat next to her but given the last time he spoke, he stuck to standing. "I want to help you."

"You can't," she shook her head. "Henry, you should go. I don't want to drag you into this."

Deciding he should respect her space, Henry headed towards the door, but as he did, a single piece of material resting on her bed caught his eye. It was a red and black patched scarf with white and light gold scarf tassels at each end. It was enough for a decision to solidify in his mind.

"I'll see you again tomorrow," he muttered, before closing the door behind him. Once it was, he stared up at the ceiling.

"What now?" he asked himself.

* * *

This was not Nick's first dinner at the Basses. No, anyone who thought that would be a fool. But over the years he'd spent time there, he'd witnessed polar ends of emotional family spectrum. From simmering fights, that resulted in glares over pleasantries and the most funny, clever and happy family dinners he'd ever saw.

He had intended to go home for dinner, but Charlotte's scheme had peaked his interest. Granted this was not his first Bass scheme either, but the intricacies that surrounded them and how well they seemed to work had always astounded him. By the time she had got her information back from her minions and given him instructions, it was dinner time, so he sent both Serena and Kayla text messages that said he'd eat at the Basses and be home before nine.

Mr. and Mrs. Bass, of course, were always happy to have their godson around and happily had Dorota set an extra place at the table before she headed out. Chuck and Blair sat at opposite ends of the table, of course where the lady and man of the house sat. He sat next to Lucas, with Charlotte across him, next to the empty seat, where Henry would sit when he was home from Yale.

Tonight, dinner involved pleasant conversation with a side of innuendo between the man and lady of the house, which Nick pretended to be oblivious to, but honestly found a little disturbing that people that age still mentioned sex with other people in the room. Still, the atmosphere was pleasant and he was still trying to wrap his head around Charlotte's latest scheme.

He'd received names. Ellen McAlister, the daughter of a New York senator, who had plans of running for the next presidential election. She was smart, pretty and knew how to manipulate her father based on everything Charlotte had managed to put together. With the next possible future president backing him up, Nathaniel Archibald would be almost certain for re-election.

The second, Diana Bradford was the daughter of a congressman who had relatives for governors in the past and many business ventures from everything ranging from social media to culinary schools. Diana, was beautiful, with plans of going into performing arts and who's parents had a big soft spot for her and gave her pretty much anything. That being said, dating her could allow Nick to get whatever he wanted.

"Focus on these two girls Archibald," she'd said.

"Which on?"

"Both," she rolled her eyes as if to say, _obviously _and smirked. "Trust me, get both these girls wanting you and your father is set for life."

Lucas had said little over the talk of scheming which Nick found odd. The middle Bass had his eyes fixed on his laptop, with only few interjections and sarcastic quips in between the talk of the the plan. To which, when he was asked about the nature of his focus on the computer he casually responded: "Work."

"Charlotte, no phones at the table," Blair said.

"Sorry Mom," she replied. "But I've just stumbled across some news that you may be interested in."

Blair quirked a brow and so did Chuck.

"Guess who's back in town?"

* * *

"Kayla, are you sure nothing's wrong?" Serena asked her daughter.

That damn person had finally replied, but it didn't help to ease her mind even a little bit.

_Who are you?_

_I work for the tabloids. So there are two ways we can go about this. _

_What do you want?_

She wished she could talk to Charlotte about this, Charlotte would quickly cough up a scheme and a takedown in time for desert and an old movie. But she couldn't tell her best friend. Not with the history of the situation with the Basses. Especially with Blair.

"Yeah, Kay," her father chimed in. "Leave the poor carrots alone and tell us what's up."

"Nothing, just...I miss Europe," she replied. "I mean, vacation, summer, it's like being somewhere else, like in a fantasy land and now, now we've all dropped back to reality."

Nate and Serena shared a laugh.

"Trust me, sweetheart, your mom and I know all about that," Nate laughed.

"I know the switch over can be hard sometimes, but eventually you get used to it," Serena chimed in, helping herself to some more potatoes. "Just don't let it take too long. The longer you wait, the harder it gets."

Kayla chuckled. "Thanks."

"So, how was school?" Nate asked.

"The same as it always is. I went to fix my makeup and Char got a little crazy when I couldn't do some screening for her."

"A true queen," Serena added, causing the whole Archibald family to laugh.

* * *

Oscar finished his homework early. That gave him more chances to brood. Right now, more than anything on his father's new book. Or manuscript for now. He was almost certain that given the way their marriage had ended, Dan Humphrey would portray Serena van der Woodsen -or perhaps as Sabrina van Skoneker- or whatever semi transparent name he decided to give the character in all her negative glory.

While Oscar wished his parents were still together and perhaps wasn't the biggest fan of his mother's decision to rid herself of the Humphrey name and take upon the Archibald, he loved her. She was his mother and nothing opens doors like Serena van der Woodsen being your mother. But beyond that, Oscar knew how good of a mother she was. He'd experienced it first hand.

So the thought of his father tearing apart everything good about his mother in a piece of writing didn't sit well with him. He'd said he wasn't trying to hurt her, but he'd done it before, twice and had never seemed to look back.

"I know that look," Dan took a seat next to his son who was sprawled out in his Brooklyn bedroom, with his feet perched up on the headboard of his bed. "If this is about my manuscript..."

"I know mom isn't perfect," Oscar interrupted him. "And God knows I'm not a fan of some of her choices. But don't write her as the devil. You know she's not like that."

"Oscar, I'm trying to-"

"I don't want you to hurt her, Dad," Oscar stated firmly.

"I know I've done things in the past that could make you react like this," Dan stated. "Maybe some waffles can calm you down," he tried to joke.

"Hmm, that does sound pretty good," the younger Humphrey mused. "But I want to know you aren't going to completely destroy mom in print...again."

"All I'll be doing is telling things how they are. How are relationship was."

"That's not enough," Oscar shook his head and sat up. "I need you to look me in the eye, Dad, and promise me you aren't going to hurt my mother."

* * *

"Charlotte, I forgot to tell you," Blair smiled at her daughter. "Your Cotillion dress has had the finishing touches put on. J just called me, it's in the atelier."

"That's great, Mom," she smiled back.

"You are so beautiful," Blair beamed proudly. "You'll be the envy of every girl making her debut."

"And your escort will be the envy of every guy," Chuck added with a smirk. "Though, he is not to go further than-"

"It will be fine, Daddy." It didn't surprise her in the least that Chuck Bass had become so protective. After all, he knew that there were boys out there who were like sixteen year old him.

"I'm sure he'll be a gentleman," Blair waved off her husband's remark.

"That's what you said about Nathaniel and remember what happened after?" Chuck muttered.

The conversation of Cotillion had briefly put a stop into her parents thoughts and worries about Henry being back in town so suddenly. It was definitely concerning his relationship (or was it previous relationship) with the Hamilton girl. Lucas was still on his laptop, busy as ever as he conversed with Nick.

"I should probably get going now," Nick stood up from his place after getting a little tired of Lucas' typing being louder than his responses. "Thank you for dinner," he told the Basses.

"It's no problem."

"Take the limo," Chuck offered. "Arthur is still there. Tell him after he drops you off, he's free to head home."

"Thanks, Mr. Bass," Nick smiled.

"Don't stop for any politician's daughters on your way home," Lucas grinned. "In that limo, your usual plays may get a little less innocent."

"Thanks," Nick chuckled. "See you tomorrow, Luke."

"Anytime, Nicholas."

"I'll see you out," Charlotte offered.

* * *

"Well, thanks for the scheme," Nick smiled at Charlotte. "I'll be sure to come to you with my next problem."

"Execute it exactly as I said and you won't have another problem," she replied a little smugly.

"We'll have to see about that. I seem to be having one with your brother right now," Nick sighed. "He's a little caught up in his computer."

"That'll pass, eventually," Charlotte replied. "Have that red head with the snake tattoo walk past him."

"Ah, so you hears," Nick laughed.

"A little hard not to, Archibald," she paused. "Speaking of siblings, what's up with your sister?"

He shrugged.

"She's been...secretive ever since Paris. She didn't mention anything about a guy in Paris, did she?" Charlotte quirked a brow. "Because between the Gossip girl blast and the mysterious phone...She's not telling me something."

"Well, I wouldn't know. The boys she dates aren't usually our topic of conversation."

"Hmmm," Charlotte mused. "Well, heed my plans, Archibald. Everything will be fine."

"I'll make sure of it," he replied with a smile.

"See you tomorrow."

"See you."

* * *

_Srsly. What's going on?_

Kayla looked down at her friends' text and sighed. She knew that this person texting her had driven her to become only half thinking about the present situation.

_Sorry. Head's in the clouds. Will be better later. Need 2 get used 2 skool. _She typed in

She would get better once she could get this person off her back. Who could she go to? Could she ask Charlotte for help without exposing this...person's ties to the Basses. Their...unpleasant, for lack of a better word, history.

Maybe later. Maybe she could lure this person out first. Handle it without anyone knowing. She pressed send on the message. A few minutes later, she got one back.

_Ok. Tho when did it take this long 2 get back 2 swing of things? Haha. Take ur time...But not too long, I need my 2nd in command. :)_

Kayla managed a smile at the message.

_Soon...hopefully. :)_

The youngest Archibald put her phone down on her bedside table and looked up at the ceiling. She was hoping it was soon. The sooner the better really, for everyone in this. Her phone buzzed again, praying it was from Charlotte and not the mysterious person who "knew", the blonde picked it up and glanced at the message.

_Haven't heard from u in a while. Everything ok?_

_Things a little complicated now. S_he messaged back. _Will get back 2 u when they start to uncomplicate. Lol. _

Deciding she really needed a break from her phone, Kayla sent the message and turned it off, before searching through the array of movies she had on her computer, finally stumbling across some of the ones she loved to watch with Charlotte when they were little. She'd never admit it now, but as a young child, her best friend had loved Audrey Hepburn movies and had dragged her blonde friend into the craze.

She passed on Roman Holiday and on Charade, until stumbling across Tiffany's and clicking it.

* * *

It was late when Henry finally arrived at the Bass home. After leaving Ostroff, unsuccessfully getting the details of Ashley's reason for admittance had found Milo in a nearby bar. He had two drinks, normally he would have had more but seeing that Ashley still had the scarf had given him hope. Maybe she wasn't totally over him as she claimed to be.

Perhaps not claimed. But implied at the very least.

It was his scarf. It had been his signature for a long time. The item of clothing that tied his Henry Bass ensemble together. He remembered the first day he got it. He was thirteen and decided he needed a signature piece of clothing. He loved his father's scarf but that was Chuck Bass' signature, Not Henry's. So his mother took him to the atelier the next day and told him to pick whatever scarf he wanted.

It had been a while before they found the black and red patched scarf, that his mother had the tassels on the ends changed to white and gold because he was a Bass after all. And he loved it. He could wear it with anything and it had become synonymous with the name Henry Bass.

But he'd given it to her. He remembered how worried they'd both been over living apart for college.

_Flashback_

_"It's gonna be okay, Ash," he promised. "It's going to work out."_

_"You'll be in another state, Henry. You'll meet girls-"_

_"But none of them will be you," he spoke. "And that means none of them will get a second glance." _

_She managed a smile at him. "I-"_

_He glanced down for a minute. What could he say to convince her that they'd work? He'd been through the explanation before, they both had. They'd visit each other on weekends, text, talk, skype. She told him that she'd be at his place so much, he'd look forward to when she left, which he told her could never happen and vice versa. _

_But actions spoke better than words. And while Henry knew very well that three simple words could make all the difference in the world, this was a time for actions right now. _

_He removed his scarf that had been draped around his neck, taking one final look as it's owner and then looking at her. _

_"Do you know what this does?"_

_"Ties your outfit together," she answered easily. "And keeps your neck warm." _

_He chuckled. "Exactly. It makes my outfit a Henry Bass outfit," he draped it over the back of her neck, so she wore it loosely, falling past her shoulders. She looked stunned. They'd been going out for a while granted but this was the Henry Bass scarf. _

_"Henry-"_

_"Just like what you do to me," he finished. "You are what ties Henry Bass together," he told her._

_Getting over the initial shock, a look of pure joy came onto her face. _

_"I love you, Henry Bass." _

_"I love you too, Ashley Hamilton," he smiled back. _

* * *

"We wondered when you were going to get home," Blair spoke as she and Chuck approached their eldest son. It was late, Charlotte and Lucas were already in bed (though whether they were actually sleeping or not was another story).

"I went to see Ashley," he answered.

"And then?"

"...Milo," he admitted. "I had a drink. Just two."

"Henry," Chuck could sympathize with his son. He was in love, in pain and feeling lost. It wasn't far off from the feelings he had when he and Blair were "off" during their years of on and off. He took a seat next to his son. "I know you and Ashley have a history. But you can't drop everything a go to her."

"I know," he nodded. "I know I shouldn't...But," he sighed.

"Henry," Blair took a seat next to him on the other side. "I know how you're feeling, trust me, your father and I both do. But this is Yale, this is your future. I want you to make the most of what your father and I can give you. You can' just go running off, take advantage of the opportunities."

"I know, I know," Henry felt exasperated, not with his parents, but with himself. "I just want to help her. You know that you don't get admitted into Ostroff without something being really bad. I want to help but she won't tell me."

"Maybe you should give her time," Blair suggested. "Sometimes when people are going through something bad...something dark, they aren't ready to accept help from those who care about them. Maybe you should go back to Yale, focus on your studies. When the time is right, she'll be able to open up and accept your help."

The youngest Bass out of those in the room nodded. He understood where his mother was coming from. Really, he did, but the feeling in his stomach didn't let him. He was too in love and unfortunately there wasn't a scheme or a drink to remedy that.

"I can't."

"Why?" his mother asked softly.

"Because I'm still in love with her," he said simply.

There was a pause.

"How in love?" Chuck asked.

"Like Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf in love with her."

The older Bass paused and turned to face his wife, they shared a look, as if having a telepathic conversation before re-focusing on their son.

"Well then, you should fight for her," Chuck said softly. "Basses don't wallow."

Blair nodded in agreement. "I'll call Yale first thing tomorrow, perhaps we can make arrangements for you to take your courses online from here. I love you, Henry," she told her son. "And I understand what's happening but I don't want you to fall behind in your studies."

"Thank you. I promise, I won't," Henry stated quickly and managed a smile. His parents were awesome.

* * *

**AN: Thanks for reading! I have exams coming up in two weeks time so I probably won't update as frequently because of those. Please leave a review. I'd really like to know what you think on the characters, the future plot points (if you can guess, though it's probably a bit hard at this stage) or if you have any suggestions. **


	4. It's All About the Game

**AN: I feel like I get less and less reviews each chapter I post. I understand that you guys are busy and don't really have time ,but to those of you who leave them, thank you very much. It's important for me to know how you guys are liking the story and it helps motivate me.**

* * *

**Chapter 4: It's All About The Game **

_**Spotted: H** back at the Bass home. Is he here to stay? We'll find out soon enough. _

Jenny Humphrey-Dillon was waken up in the middle of the night with her phone ringing off the hook. She groaned, praying to God that it wasn't Blair Bass with a midnight emergency at the atelier, causing her to run from her home in Greenwich to the Upper East Side in the middle of the night. Her husband stirred next to her.

"Jen, who is that?" he groaned, rolling onto his side.

"I'll take care of it, go back to sleep," she instructed, as she fumbled through the clutter on he bedside table for her phone.

Many years ago, when Blair had been far too pregnant with Charlotte to go to Milan for fashion week, she had sent Jenny in her place and it was there, Jenny met Andrew Dillon, a handsome, American photographer. As it turned out, he came from old money...very old money, but was a bit of an artist and had taken to doing his own thing, rather than follow family protocol. The two had clicked instantly and as of now, were happily married for thirteen years with a ten year old daughter, Mia.

Jenny, finally finding the irritating device pressed the answer button and placed it by her ear and sleepily answered.

"Hello?"

"Aunt Jenny," came the somber voice on the other end.

"Oscar?" she questioned. "It's late."

"I know, I'm sorry for calling so late," he said. "But I can't sleep."

"Have you tried warm milk?"

"Something's on my mind," he specified. "It's about Dad."

"What about him?" Jenny replied, sitting up a little straighter. "Is everything okay?"

"He's working on a new manuscript. A new book in the works since he's found another publicist."

"And what worries you?" she prodded. "Isn't that good?"

"Not exactly," he replied slowly. "See...it's supposed to be about his relationship with my mom." The revelation was a little surprising, but nothing completely unexpected. "He's done it before, hasn't he?"

"It was a long time ago, Oscar," Jenny tried to defend her brother -admittedly a little weakly- but still. "Things have changed since then."

"Have they really?"

Jenny had always tried to be supportive of Dan, after all, he'd always been supportive of her. But after his later publications, badmouthing and only leaving the most terrible bits of the people who had eventually grown to accept her. It had taken a while, but even the Basses had managed to do it. Jenny tried to keep good ties with everyone (not exactly an easy feat), but living apart from all of them had definitely helped.

"He says he'll be telling it like it is," Oscar added. "But is this how it really is or how he thinks it is?"

Jenny paused, pondering her nephew's questions before finally speaking again.

"Why call me?"

"Cause right now, you and Grandpa Rufus are the only people who have a clear insight on him. How he is now and then."

* * *

The following day, Henry woke up in his old bedroom at the Bass home. Pulling himself out of bed, he glanced at the clock on his bedside table. 8:30AM, deciding it was time to get up, Henry got out of bed, dressed himself loosely in a dark blue shirt and dark slacks before heading downstairs.

All the Basses were seated at the dining table, Chuck and Blair dressed for work, Charlotte and Lucas dressed for school.

"Morning," he greeted.

Everybody greeted back, as he helped himself to a scone and some coffee. However, it wasn't long before his siblings had to depart for school. Henry stood from his seat and hugged his sister.

"I'm glad you're back."

"Yeah, so am I."

Lucas was not quite as huggy, but Henry gave him a pat on the shoulder and they shared a nearly identical smirk.

"Don't get it too much trouble, Luke."

His brother shrugged. "We'll see."

The two departed for school, shooting a goodbye to their parents and Henry resumed his seat and took another bite out of his scone and another sip of his coffee.

"I called Yale this morning," Blair told him. "It's not something they do frequently, but your grades were great last year, so they've agreed to let you take your courses online from here. Keep in mind, you will have to go back to New Haven for your exams and especially for finals."

"Thanks, Mom," Henry smiled. "You're the best."

"Are you going to see Ashley today?" Chuck asked.

"Yeah," he paused. "But she doesn't seem to want to tell me what's going on."

"Push a little harder, Henry," Chuck said. "You'll be surprised what can happen."

Blair shared an identical look with her husband as he smirked.

"Henry, if she's worth fighting for...then you have to keep fighting," his mother said, his father nodding in agreement.

"If there's anything I've learnt over the years," his father added. "It's that when you love someone, you don't give up...even if their begging you to...and that you never ever give up on them."

"Thanks, Dad," Henry managed a smile. "And thanks Mom."

* * *

"Amaya Briggs is out to get me," Charlotte scowled on the steps of the MET.

"Why do you say that?" Kayla asked, finally looking up from her phone.

"She's a rejected minion and Gossip Girl saw her hanging out with Lisa last night. She's trying to destroy me from the inside."

Kayla rolled her eyes. "Not everyone is out to be Queen, C."

"And that's why you aren't Queen," her friend replied nonchalantly. It should've been an insult, but they had been friends for so long and both knew where Kayla stood on being queen, causing them both to laugh.

"If you say so," Kayla smiled.

"Is everything okay," Charlotte asked her friend again.

"Of course."

She still had the message on her phone.  
_**  
Kayla: **What do you want?_

_**Unknown: **$10K or the story._

___**Kayla: **_What do you know?

**_Unknown:_**_ Enough. Pics of you and PoM in Paris. Getting awful cosy..._

_**Kayla: **Prove it.  
_

_**Unknown: **jPg loading..._

"K," Charlotte drawled slowly. "If anything's wrong..."

"Everything's fine," she answered a little too quickly. Charlotte still looked worried. "So, Amaya Briggs. How do we handle her?"

"The same way we handle all the wannabes who get big heads, K," her friend replied with a smirk. "With a scheme."

"You have another one already?" Kayla quirked a brow, bemused. "Didn't you spend a lot of time last night discussing one for my brother?"

"I always have a scheme in mind," Charlotte replied. "For any situation."

Kayla laughed. "You love to keep everyone on their toes, don't you?"

"Well where would all the fun be if everyone's feet were on solid ground?"

"Including yours?"

Her brunette just smirked in retaliation. "There's an exception to every rule, K."

* * *

Later than night, Charlotte, Nick, Kayla and Lucas (who had managed to pull himself away from his "work" for long enough) hung around after a performance in the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts. Just outside the main exit from the room the performance took place, Nick waited by the door.

Diana Bradford had reddish-brown hair that fell to her shoulders. Currently, she was dressed in what he assumed was a skirt, tights, a top with a dark coat over, that went down to just above her knees.

"You were good," he called out from his place at the door, grabbing her attention.

_Hook..._

She walked closer and smiled at the handsome blonde boy.

"Are you waiting for an autograph?"

He laughed. "How about a drink, instead?" Nick suggested. "Celebrate a job well done with the performance."

She raised a brow. "You thought I was good?"

"The best," he replied easily.

_Line..._

"Mmhmm, and I'm assuming you know just all about ballet?" she teased him.

Nick tilted his head to the side a little bit and shyly replied. "No," but regained his ground quickly. "But I know a good performance when I see it." His remark caused her to smile back at him and that minute.

"And how would you know that?"

"I play lacrosse."

She laughed loudly at his response, but stuck her hand out for him to shake.

"I'm Diana."

_...and Sinker!_

"Nick," he grinned in response, shaking her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"How about that drink?" she playfully suggested.

Nick raised his eyebrows and gestured out the doors. "It'll be my pleasure."

* * *

For the second time, since he'd arrived in New York less than 48 hours ago, Henry Bass was back in the Ostroff Center. He opened the door to his...Ashley's room, to find her in the same position as he'd found her in yesterday. Cross legged, book in hand.

"Hey," he greeted casually.

"What are you doing here, Henry?" she quirked a brow. "I thought we have nothing to say to each other."

"I don't believe I agreed to that," he replied, taking a step closer to her on the bed.

"This isn't a business deal."

"I never said it was," he fought back the frustration brewing in the pit of his stomach. "What are you doing here, Ash?"

She shook her head. "That's none of your-"

"It is," Henry interjected, firmly. "It is, Ash. I know what Ostroff is for, okay? I know who it's for. And you do not fit the description."

"And what description would that be?" she replied, firmly placing her book on the side table by her bed.

"You know," he narrowed his eyes.

"Enlighten me, Bass."

"It doesn't matter because you shouldn't be in here."

"And how would you know?" She was mocking him, taunting him.

"Because I know you, Ash. Contrary to whatever you may be telling yourself, I know you."

"Maybe I've changed."

"Why won't you just tell me what's going on?" he felt himself sinking into pleading.

"Because!" she couldn't finish. "Because I..."

Henry suddenly felt his father's words come back to him.

_When you love someone, you don't give up...even if their begging you to..._

Braving the storm, he took a deep breath and sat next to her on the bed. When she didn't shove him off and tell him to get out, he took it as a good sign and met her eyes.

"I know our relationship wasn't perfect," he admitted. "And I admit that I made mistakes...we both did, Ash. I know there were times I put other things first...above anything else. Maybe I even did things that would make you believe I was capable of betraying you..." Henry trailed off. "But deep in your heart, you know that I would never do that."

She stared into his eyes. God, those dark eyes that she had missed so damn much. The ones that she'd seen hold a twinkle of mischief constantly (it was like a pre-smirk), she'd seen them hold blazing anger when someone would try and take a shot at the Basses less than clean past and rumors about her, about his family and the smugness, basking in victory when he vanquished those people (because he did, he was Henry Bass after all). But she'd also seen the amount of love in them and the adoration and happiness (not to be confused with his victorious, smug look).

Now she saw the pleading in them. Desperation was hiding in them and she saw now -perhaps more than ever- just how much he really wanted to help her.

"I know," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

He said nothing, wanting her to elaborate, when she didn't, they continued to sit there in the silence, tension not fully cleared but still present.

"Why did you come back?" she finally asked.

"To see how you were doing...To see if I could help you," Henry took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," he spoke. "I'm sorry for when I wasn't there for you when I should have been. I'm sorry for when I put Yale or my...master plan ahead of you. I'm sorry I didn't try harder to convince you how much I wanted us when we broke up," his mind trailed back to that painful time. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you all those times you needed me, but I'm here now. I'm here now and I want to help with whatever you're going through. Even if it is only as you friend."

Once he finished saying what he had to say, Ashley was speechless and incredulous.

"You shouldn't have to apologize..." she spoke. "We both made mistakes."

And then she took his hand in her own and squeezed it.

"I'm in here because I..." she paused. "I almost died."

* * *

"So, you dance often?" Nick quirked a brow at the bar. Diana stood next to him with a drink in her hand.

"Um, yeah," she replied obviously. "It's my passion."

"I like a girl with passion," he grinned. Okay, maybe that one was a bit too Lucas. But Diana didn't seem to mind.

"Speaking of passion...I'm sure you have one that goes past lacrosse," she teased.

"Well-"

"Nicholas, I'm sorry, we have to leave," Lucas swiftly interjected the conversation between the two.

"Luke, I'm a little busy," Nick tried to explain. What was his friend doing? Was this part of the plan?

"Kayla's freaking out, she really wants to leave. I'm sorry man, we gotta go," Lucas responded.

"I, uh, I'm sorry," Nick stumbled turning to Diana. "I have to, I gotta run, I'm sorry," he called out as Lucas began to lead him away.

"It's fine, I, um, call me!" she managed to call out.

As Lucas led Nick out the door and towards the limo, Nick glanced at his friend in worry, who wore a smirk in response and relief flashed over Nick. This was part of the plan, part of Charlotte's scheme. Again, he had no idea how it would work.

"Kayla's fine isn't she?"

"Course she's fine, Nicholas," he replied coolly. "This is part of the plan."

"But, we were barely past drinks."

"Did you want to get past drinks?" Lucas smirked again and quirked his brow.

"I, well, I..."

The two entered the limo, where Kayla and Charlotte were sitting...chatting evidently about something, at the arrival of their brothers, Charlotte had a look on her face -the look she got when things go according to plan - and turned to them.

"I-I'm early," Nick mumbled, unsure.

"Part of the plan, Archibald," she spoke. "To get you out early."

"How does that work," he furrowed his brow as the limo began to pull out o it's parking spot and bring the foursome to their destinations.

She sighed. "Archibald, look at it from her perspective. Say you met a nice looking girl after one of your lacrosse matches. You get drinks, you flirt a little bit, you have just started to get the ball rolling when all of a sudden, she has to leave. What's the first thing you do?"

"Find out who she is, I guess," Nick admitted. "See if I can follow-" the realization hit him and he started feeling stupid for not seeing it earlier. "I get it. You're having her chase me."

"Just for now," Charlotte smiled.

"She doesn't know my last name though. She actually doesn't know much about me. Other than that my name is Nick and I play lacrosse."

"Yeah," Lucas sighed heavily. "If only you were the mayor of New York's son and nearly everyone knew who you were."

"And in case even she didn't pick up on that," Charlotte added. "I left your name with the bartender. She'll be bound to ask and she'll find you...eventually."

"I think a scheme well done is cause for celebration," Lucas pulled out a bottle of champagne and four glasses from one of the pockets of the limo.

"Keep in mind, we're only half done, Lucas," she reminded him with a smile. "But even that's cause for celebration."

Kayla grinned as the champagne was popped and everybody had some. They toasted to a scheme (part one at least) well done. And in that moment, Kayla forgot about the mysterious person texting her and stuck to having some fun with her friends. Her phone went off and she inwardly sighed, until she heard everyone else's phones go off too.

That could mean only one thing. Gossip Girl.

**_Spotted: N _**_hanging out after hours at a dance recital. It's clearly not the arts that's kept him there. But a certain dancer, seemed to turn his interest and his wallet. They were seen having drinks after the performance. Oh, **N**, another girl? Be sure to keep 'em coming. I love my scandals. _

* * *

Back at the Bass home, after Kayla and Nick had been dropped off, Lucas found himself back to work on his laptop. Charlotte, had grown interested in what he was doing exactly that caused him to be so engrossed and finally posed the question.

"What are you working on?"

He paused for a moment, his fingers easing off the keys and turned to his sister.

"It's a business proposition."

"For Dad?" he nodded. "Well what is it?"

"It's a true Bass touch to a Bass hotel," Lucas spoke. "One of a kind. I've been doing research to make absolute sure that it's one of a kind."

"So what is the idea, exactly?"

Lucas stayed silent for a moment before finally speaking.

"A Lost Room."

"A what?"

"What if there was a room in a hotel that you could go to, party your heart out, do whatever you want, let loose with no judgement from anyone else?" he paused. "Now, what if you could have that for one night? Just one night in a Bass hotel -only a Bass hotel - and the next day, all you're left with is a hangover and the memory of the best night of your life."

"What about the suite?"

"The suite will move around, I haven't figured out the specifics yet but it will only be around once every so often and then it'll be gone. The next day, if you go look for it all you'll find is a boring old hotel room, same as all the others."

"A Bass exclusive," Charlotte spoke as her brother nodded. "Lucas that's brilliant. You have to pitch this to Dad it'll be...It'll change...It will jumpstart your career at the company."

"Thanks, sis," a smile crossed onto his face. "But if it's gonna do that, it needs to be perfect. I need a proposal that nobody could ever refuse."

"You're Lucas Bass," she smirked. "Isn't that enough?"

* * *

Kayla laid back in her bed. The image had finally loaded on her phone and she felt her heart sink slowly at the revelation. It was her, alright, her and the perfect dark haired, bright eyed boy she'd met in Paris. This picture was taken at night, but the streetlights of Paris showed enough. They were seated next to each other, her head on his shoulder, her hand in his.

_**Kayla: **Who are you? I want a name before you get anything. _

She waited five minutes, but there was no reply from the anonymous person. She sent a quick text of goodnight and see you tomorrow to Charlotte, who replied, just as she heard her father come home. He'd been working late, discussing the strategy with his mayoral re-election campaign. Her phone went off, but this time, not from the unknown person.

_**A:** __Business to take care of again in Paris. Reminds me of you...Txt back when you can._

* * *

**AN: So...please tell me what you think of this. I figured I could squeeze in an update before exams so I hope you enjoyed. Please leave a review, I really do appreciate them. **


	5. Don't F with a Schemer

**AN: Not much to say but I hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to all the people who review, it's a great motivator for me to get feedback. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Don't F* with a Schemer **

_**Spotted: C **and** N**, hanging in the Palace bar. Seem's like** N **has found himself a new wingman. I guess being Queen isn't the only title** C **takes. _

"We're going for Ellen McAlister already?" Nick prodded. "I mean, what about Diana?"

"You went on a date with her a couple days ago."

"But...What about Gossip Girl? She'll find out."

Charlotte sighed and shook her head. "Do you trust me, Archibald?"

"On a scheme."

"Then believe me when I tell you this will work."

"Fine."

Ellen McAlister had dark blonde hair and sat at the bar on her own. At Charlotte's last knowledge, her ex-boyfriend, Ryan Baxter, the Milo Sparks of their year, had broken up with her last week. She was probably on the rebound, looking to make him jealous.

Enter one Nick Archibald.

Seeing as this was all for his father's re-election, Nick didn't mind at all, being the rebound guy.

So, with a small shove, Nick found himself heading over to the bar, by Ellen McAlister. He was dressed in a dark blue shirt and tan slacks, dressy causal as he sat next to her. He paused for a moment, before it came to him.

"What's a beautiful girl like yourself doing alone on a Saturday night?" he asked.

She looked up from her drink and looked at him, disdainfully. Like she'd been through this a hundred times before. Sweeping a part of her bangs to the side, she eyed him suspiciously.

"Look, if you're trying to pick me up, I'm not that easy."

Nick glanced down and chuckled lightly. "I never said anything about that. Could I buy you a drink?"

"And what would that accomplish?"

"Replenishing your current one," he gestured to her near empty glass. She looked unfazed by his usual charms and nice-guy appeal. But Charlotte told him not to go Lucas and she was the master schemer after all.

"You heard about Ryan, huh?" she finished off what was left of her drink. It wasn't a question, apparently most people knew. "Look if you think you can-"

"I-I, don't want anything," Nick interrupted her, cautious so she wouldn't hit him or something. "I just...maybe, if you wanna talk..." he began to trail off. "If you wanna talk, I'm here to listen...if you want."

Ellen glanced down at the empty glass in her hand again and sighed before turning back to him. "How about you just buy me a drink?"

"Okay," Nick nodded, a smile making it's way towards his face. "Okay, we could start with that."

* * *

Milo Sparks tipped back another shot of whiskey as Kyan-Kaze buzzed with energy. It was the ultimate club, drinks, dancers and poker tables upstairs, a boxing ring in the basement with everyone placing bets. The club roared with life in the upstairs, Milo took a liking to the girl who was also tipping back shots, she had a nice body and any woman who could handle her liquor had a place in Milo's-

"I thought I'd find you here," Henry took a seat next to him. Dressed in a button down striped shirt -complete with ascot- and pinstriped pants and designer shoes. They hadn't seen each other for a couple days since Milo had decided he needed a drink that day in the Ostroff Center.

"Very good, nephew," Milo remarked, tipping back another shot. Thank God he was one of the partners who owned this club or he'd be in a ton of debt with the amount he drank. "How's the girl?" he finally asked.

"She's ah...well, she's talking to me," Henry answered. "That's a start."

Milo didn't look interested.

"I wanted to thank you," Henry finally spoke, swallowing his pride. "I-I don't know what we are or where we are but we're working on it. But if you hadn't been in New Haven that day...Well thanks."

"It's no problem. Just don't make me do this again, Bass."

Henry nodded and chuckled a bit. "Wouldn't want it that way either, Sparks."

"Drink?"

"Yeah, scotch."

Milo made a gesture to the bartender who began fixing Henry a glass, before refilling Milo's own. Both guys took a drink easily, as Henry took in the sights of Kyan for what was certainly not his first time and certainly would not be his last.

"Poker table's getting wild," he commented on the seven or so guys yelling at each other over cash.

"You think? You should check out the ring downstairs."

The guys yelling got louder.

"What are the stakes?" Henry asked.

Milo quirked a brow. "You, nephew? You want in?"

"Just tell me the stakes, Sparks," Henry retorted dismissively.

"See the blonde guy," Milo pointed to a man in his mid forties who was currently getting screamed at. Henry nodded. "Toby Fischer, he's got a girlfriend half his age and twice his hotness. He owes about 600k," Milo took another sip.

"So deal's strictly between people. House gets a cut of course?"

"Mmm," Milo nodded. "Twenty five percent."

"Pretty steep. And all bets lost are to be settled by the players I presume."

Milo shrugged halfheartedly. "They wanted to play," he paused. "What's the sudden interest in Kyan, Henry? Don't tell me you want in."

Henry shook his head and finished his drink. "Just curious."

"Well if you're looking for a job," Milo gestured round. "We could probably use a lawyer at some stage."

Henry laughed and stood up. "We'll see after I graduate."

* * *

Okay. She didn't have a choice now. She had to pay the money, lest the truth get out. The photo was enough and Kayla was willing to bet that this person had more. She could probably get the money from her trust fund, find a way to put it back without her parents finding out. She could ask them for help, but then she'd have to tell the whole story.

And she couldn't do that. Not without bringing light to something that everyone had tried so hard to erase from their memory.

Not without very possibly hurting her best friend.

No. She had to do this alone.

Kayla sighed, she needed a scheme, more importantly, she needed a Bass who could get her a scheme. But, alas, all she had right now was herself and that was something she'd simply have to make work.

Her phone went off again ans Kayla fought the urge to smash it.

_**Unknown: **Thought you might like a sneak peek of what I have before the tabloids get to it. Multiple jpeg loading..._

"Oh God," Kayla muttered and sank back into her bed. This entire thing would not end.

**_Kayla: _**_You'll get the cash. Give me time. _

* * *

Oscar Humphrey sat in math class with little to do and too much to think about. He tried to focus on the voice of his math teacher, explaining trigonometry and theta and a lot of math words he honestly wasn't very interested in. He was also trying to block out Frankie Dalgaard's sniggering over something else he didn't really care about.

Lucas Bass also sat in he class on the opposite side of the room, of course. His head didn't look to be in the clouds, but definitely not on the problems on the board. He was constantly scribbling down something on a sheet of paper as the teacher drone on and on and on...

The bell rang (finally) and everyone made their way out of the classroom, Oscar was one of the last people to leave the class. Despite being Serena's son, Oscar was still an outsider, he dropped his math books in his locker and fished out his lunch. Due to a lack of people to sit with, Oscar took his lunch and books for his next class and headed to the library.

He passed Kayla in the hall with Charlotte, who merely waved at him. He nodded curtly in response and decided to hurry on to his destination. Once inside, Oscar sat at the table in the far corner, left his books on the table and whipped out his iPad.

Wasting know time, he typed into the search bar: Dan Humphrey Inside.

He had to know what it was before. What his father was truly capable of doing. Taking a sloppy bite of his sandwich and chewing, Oscar hit the first link, a downloadable pdf of the book. He paused, wondering if he really wanted to find out for a moment, but curiosity got the better of him as he hit the download button.

* * *

"You wanna hang out later?" Lucas asked his best friend, as they walked through the school yard. The day had ended and now, everyone was off to escape the dread of trigonometry and English assignments.

"I can't," Nick shook his head. "I have a date."

"Which one?"

"Ellen, well not really a date, more like I'm buying drinks and listening to her complain."

"So you went out with Diana, yesterday?"

"Yeah."

"Come on, Nicholas," Lucas spoke. "I feel like I've barely seen you in between your scheming with my sister and my new project."

"Speak of which, how's the project going?" Nick asked.

"Well. I think I may be able to make the pitch to my dad soon. He's not going to be able to say no."

"That's great, man," Nick patted his friend's shoulder. At that moment, both of their phone went off.

**_Spotted: _**_Amaya Briggs and minions three, making plans for Butter. Without the Queen. Oh, **C**, you better get on this fast, after all, what's a queen without any of her royal subjects. _

"Oh damn," Nick muttered. "I'm assuming she has another scheme for this.

Lucas smirked. "My sister is the master schemer, Nicholas. I'm sure she's five steps ahead of this Briggs girl."

* * *

Henry had returned to the Ostroff Center everyday to see Ashley. Ever since she'd told him that she's almost died, he wanted to go and see her more than ever. The receptionists didn't bother asking who he was anymore when he walked into the room.

She'd almost died, but she hadn't said why or how. It had been enough at the time, that she was opening up to him, but she'd seemed to stop right after that. It left a ray of hope but was gruelingly frustrating at the same time. '

He opened the door to her room and sat next to her on the bed. Since the day she's partially opened up to him, they'd grown closer and were more like friends than exes at this point.

"New book?" he raised a brow.

"Old book," she replied. "First time reading." He nodded in understanding as she placed it on her bedside table. "So, what's been happening?"

He began to fill her in on what had been happening like he had everyday on his visits. From Charlotte's scheming and his assignments at Yale. Today, he smiled as he was doing so because she wore his scarf (technically she owned it now) just around her neck.

"What about you?" he asked as he finished telling her what had been happening.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Therapy today."

"Oh," Henry replied. "Did it go well?"

Ashley shrugged. "As well as it can go." Henry nodded again, but said nothing. At this point he knew better than to ask up front, but she could tell what he was thinking. "I know what you're thinking, Henry."

"What am I thinking?"

"I'm not ready to talk about it," she said.

"Ash, I just want to help."

"I'm not ready, Henry."

* * *

"Everything going well?" Charlotte asked Nick after his latest "date" with Ellen McAlister.

"Yeah, well...I guess so. It's been a week and now, I think Diana seems to like me more, if I'm being honest. She ever introduced me to her dad when we ran into him at dinner. He's nice, probably gonna support my dad."

"So things are going well."

Nick may not be the smartest guy on the Upper East Side. But he knew when Charlotte wanted something, shifting his jaw to the side, before moving it back, he knew she wanted something, but given the help she was giving him with this, he owed her.

"What do you want, Char?"

"Amaya Briggs to stop thinking that she could ever be Charlotte Bass," she replied. "And you're going to help me."

"Me?" Nick raised a brow. He wasn't usually her go-to scheming partner. But given that Kayla was busy with...something and Lucas was busy with his pitch for Bass Industries, he wasn't a terrible choice.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Find out when Amaya plans to attempt to start her takedown," Charlotte spoke the girls name dismissively. "And then fetch me three freshmen. Just about minion material and call my PI. Get him to give me everything on Amaya Briggs."

Nick rolled his eyes, but couldn't help smiling and nodding. "Which PI?"

"Mike Harvey. Don't be too worried, Archibald," she tilted her head to the side and smiled all too sweetly. "I'll take care of the rest."

* * *

Chuck Bass sighed deeply in his office as two of his employees had freshly walked out the door. Bass Industries was doing well, financially, but it seemed to have lost all of it's previous innovation. Everything seemed to be old, so been there, done that, twice.

There was a quick knock at the door as Chuck watched Lucas stroll into the room. His son was dressed in a pinstriped charcoal suit, red shirt and dark tie as he strolled to his father's desk.

"Hi, Dad."

"Lucas," Chuck smiled. "What brings you by?" a sudden look of dread came on his face. "Please don't tell me I forgot we had lunch today."

"Nothing like that," Lucas shook his head and took a seat across his father's desk and placed a folder on the table. "I have a business proposition, actually."

"Oh?" Chuck spoke with a lopsided smile. "Do tell."

Lucas straightened his back as he began to make his proposal. "Your hotels are all financially profitable, all legitimate, all...all very standard," he spoke, straightening his tie as he pushed the folder forward, towards his father. "This addition, should you accept it will be a one of a kind, edgy Bass touch."

Chuck opened the folder and began to go through the business plan. "The Lost Room," he read the opening line of the summary and spoke with awe in his voice as he began to sift through his son's documents. It was so...so...Bass.

"Lucas, this is..." he trailed off.

"The Lost Room, located on the floor under every penthouse suite in a Bass hotel. Guests get one night, one night to party and have the greatest night of their lives, no judgement, let loose," the younger Bass spoke. "But the next day, the guest wakes up in his or her own room and the suite is gone."

"It will leave them aching for more," Chuck muttered in realization. "Forcing them-"

"To have to stay at another Bass hotel if they wish to...satisfy their taste."

"This is brilliant," Chuck finally spoke. "How did you come up with this?"

"It's been on my mind for a while," he admitted. "But I finally came up with a proposition."

"It's brilliant," Chuck repeated. "We'll have to work out the finances and the specifics, but I want this implemented in every Bass hotel ASAP."

Lucas grinned. "Thanks, Dad."

"The Lucas Bass Lost Room," Chuck smirked. "Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"I agree."

Chuck glanced at his son and then at his watch. "You know what, you're mother's probably done at the atelier, how about we all go to lunch to celebrate?"

* * *

"Butter at eight," Charlotte spoke outside of the restaurant, Nick stood there, with three freshmen. Charlotte had to admit, she didn't think he had this whole screening and scheming thing in him, but he wasn't bad at it.

"Girls," she turned to the three nervous freshmen. "Entrance," she spoke as she strutted into the restaurant, the three freshmen behind her and Nick behind them. He couldn't help a light chuckle at what Amaya Briggs was in for.

It didn't take long to find Amaya trying to persuade the minions. She had her hair up and very curly as Charlotte approached the table.

"Hello, Amaya," Charlotte smiled her sickeningly sweet smile. "Lisa, Carly, Marie."

"Charlotte Bass," Amaya tried to sound intimidating, she paled in the presence of Charlotte. "I'm with friends."

"Is that what you call people you have to persuade to follow you?" she spoke as the minions stayed quiet.

"I can't help it if they want me instead of you."

"Hmmm,' Charlotte cocked her head to the side. "Do they?"

"Yes." She tried to be confident, but her voice went up at the end, which told Charlotte that she was unsure.

"That true?" she turned to the minions, who all looked like they were going to pass out at the clash of the Queen Bee and the Wannabe.

"We-"

"Um-"

"Uh-"

"A pity, that would be," Charlotte sighed as she pulled out three envelopes from her purse. "Seeing as you were all going to be invited to the Waldorf Designs fashion show this Saturday," she flashed the invitation.

"Oh my God," Carly gasped. "Second row seats to your mother's show."

"Yes," Charlotte smirked. "It was going to be so amazing, a shame you won't be there."

"What?" Lisa stammered.

"Well, these seats are for faithful minions and since you three don't seem to be very loyal," she gestured for the three freshmen to step forward. "I'm sure these _freshmen _would gladly take them, Ladies."

Marie gasped. "You wouldn't...you wouldn't give our seats to-to freshmen."

"Those are movie star seats!" Carly exclaimed.

"And why not?" she motioned for the invitations to the freshmen. "I'm sure they wouldn't jump out of my control the minutes some wannabe from Brams tried to establish herself as Queen. A position, that is already taken."

"I'm sorry, Charlotte!" Carly caved.

"Me too!" Lisa jumped in. "Please forgive us."

"We didn't even agree to anything, but we'll never even meet with someone like this again!" Marie finished.

Amaya looked incredulous and absolutely dumbfounded.

"Well, I suppose I could find it in my heart to forgive you," the Queen smirked. "As long as this doesn't happen again."

"Never."

"Why would it?"

"Don't even know why we met with her this time."

Charlotte's smirk was growing bigger by the second as she turned to the three freshmen. "You can go now." The three looked slightly dejected as they walked out the door and the three minions rushed to Charlotte to obtain their invitations, leaving Amaya at the table alone.

"I expect everything will be how it's supposed to be by tomorrow morning."

"Absolutely," they all replied with additions of thanks and apologies.

"Good, you're dismissed."

Not wishing to stick around, they hurried out as fast as the freshmen had, Nick, watching from a slightly farther distance.

"And you," Charlotte faced Amaya. "You think you can walk into my kingdom and take the crown for yourself, who do you think you are?"

"I-I-uh..."

"I'm going to make things very easy," Charlotte retorted. "You find a way to put aside your delusions of grandeur and keep off my radar and maybe you'll get to stay in the city. Because if you don't everyone will find out about just what happened to that chem lab in Brams. Understand me?"

"I...yes, I promise."

"Good, now get out."

Amaya rushed out of the restaurant, in fear of what Charlotte Bass could do as Nick walked up closer to her and stood beside the beaming Queen.

"Wow, and I thought your scheme for me went well."

"All in execution, Archibald," she smirked. "Thanks for your help," she added.

"It was nothing, Char. You seemed to do it all on your own."

"Well, I'm Charlotte Bass, after all."

Nick laughed. "I have no doubt about that."

* * *

_**Unknown: **My patience is wearing thin. 48 hours or the story goes public. _

"Well shit," Kayla sighed. She'd tried to find a way to get this done all week, but to no avail. She had to accept that she needed help on this once, Bass help to be more precise. She just hoped and prayed that she could get away with as little information as possible.

She turned to her phone and sent a text to Charlotte.

_**Kayla: **I need ur help. _

A few minutes later, her phone rang again.

_**Charlotte: **Be at urs in 15 What's wrong? _

* * *

**AN: I hope you enjoyed the scheming in this chapter. I promise there is still more to come. I hope you had fun with this chapter, I certainly had fun writing it. Please leave me a review and tell me what you think about the story, the characters, if there's anything in particular you'd like to see please tell me. **


	6. The After Party

**AN: Hello everyone! Just wanna say thanks for all your support, this story has been great to write. This chapter in particular is one I've had in mind for a long time so I hope I haven't let you down. Please leave a review and enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 6: The After Party**

Kayla paced anxiously back and forth in her bedroom, her phone lay open on her bed as she thought of what she would say to Charlotte, how to explain everything that had happened in Paris. What she thought would be an innocent romance had come back to haunt her in the form of a mysterious blackmailer.

Charlotte arrived, with Nick in tow to find her best friend in the same position, pacing back and forth.

"K, what's wrong?" she asked, concern coming over her.

Kayla turned around, coming face to face with her best friend, and her older brother tagging behind.

"I need your help," was all she could say as Charlotte took a seat on the bed, and told her friend to sit down.

"What happened, K?"

"I-I need to tell you about Paris."

"Kayla, what happened in Paris?" Nick asked as he joined the two.

"I met someone," she admitted.

"So, Gossip Girl was right?" Charlotte quirked a brow.

"Yeah. I met someone. It was nice, it was fun but it's over now...At least I thought it was."

"Is he in town?" Nick suggested.

"No," she shook her head. "Least I don't think so...But someone's blackmailing me."

"With what?"

"Sex tape?" Charlotte asked.

"No! No, nothing like that, it's just that the guy I met is kind of..." How could she describe him? Famous? Important? "He's kind of got clout, okay?"

"What kind of clout? Is he the one blackmailing you?"

"No, at least I don't think so," her gaze fell to the floor and she shook her head. "I don't know, I'm-I'm..."

"We need reinforcements," Charlotte turned to Nick. "Call Lucas."

* * *

Henry found Milo back at Kyan. This time, underground, safely tucked away in the bar by the boxing ring as two guys were smashing into each other. There was a ref, a big guy, but he didn't seem to be too bothered by any of it.

"What are you doing here, again?" Milo asked.

"I thought about what you said before," Henry replied. "Kyan's not exactly the most legitimate of places...but it is profitable."

Milo quirked a brow and put down his glass. "Do you actually want in? I don't believe this."

"What I want, dear Milo," Henry drawled as he took a glass of scotch. "Is to triple the profits from this place...I think I even have a way to legalize this whole...underground thing you have going on."

"And in return you want...what? To stick the Bass name on top of this place?' Milo downed another shot of whiskey.

"Actually I would prefer if this business endeavor was more...personal," Henry replied. "Bass Industries doesn't have to have anything to do with this place. Just Henry Bass."

Milo was suddenly intrigued by this business offer. "How much do you want?"

"Twenty five percent."

Milo shook his head and laughed sardonically. "In your dreams, nephew."

"Three other guys have shares in this place don't they? Buy one of them out."

"I don't think so."

"How much do you have?" Henry quirked a brow. "Thirty...three percent? This place is your baby. It's my father's Victrola. And the last thing you want, I'm sure, is for them to force you out. You get me in, I'll be on your side...controlling interest."

"And how do you plan to help run this place from Yale?"

"Consider me a silent partner when I'm gone, but I'm still on your team."

"And legalizing this place?"

"Couple permits, some paperwork...nothing more. But you need me," Henry smirked, knowing he'd just made his selling point. He finished his scotch and stood up from his seat. "This scotch...it's not bad. But I could make it better."

* * *

Lucas arrived fifteen minutes later at the Archibald home and went to Kayla's room where he found them. Kayla was staring at her phone, looking like it was going to come to life and kill her.

"What's the matter?" he asked, entering the room and closing the door behind him.

"Kayla's being blackmailed," Nick said.

"He wants ten thousand," Charlotte spoke. "The money is not so much the problem so much as the evidence is."

"What evidence?" Lucas furrowed his brow.

"Pictures of me and a guy in Paris. We were together over the summer not you know...there wasn't exactly a press release," she explained. "Anyway, he comes from a pretty powerful family but we ended it and now someone is blackmailing me."

"This guy has pictures?"

"Yeah...and he wants the money by tomorrow or they go to the press."

Everyone paused for a moment, taking in all the information at hand. Kayla met a guy...a guy who she would not specify but had ended it with. A guy who's family had power and clout. Someone had seen them together and started taking pictures and now wanted money in exchange for his silence on the matter.

"Have you tried tracing the number?" Lucas suggested.

"Yeah, I called the phone company, but the number was listed as a burn phone. All of them were."

"So the guy knows how to cover his tracks," Nick muttered.

Charlotte whipped out her own phone and began dialling.

"What are you doing?"

"If we can't track the number, we can find the point of sale and from there," she smirked, "track the blackmailer."

"Mike Harvey?" Lucas asked.

"Mike Harvey," she nodded as the phone on the other end began to ring

* * *

Nick hadn't wanted to leave his sister, but he did have a "date" with Ellen and Charlotte insisted that he finish what he started. He kicked the ground a couple times on his way to meet her at the bar, trying to put thoughts of whoever was blackmailing Kayla out of his head.

He found Ellen at the bar (she was always at the bar) but with another guy. It didn't take him long to recognize that they were getting pretty...close. Whatever, it wasn't like they were the real thing anyway. But still, a plan was a plan.

"Ellen?"

She pulled away from her friend almost immediately at the sound of his voice.

"Nick! I um, I forgot we were meeting, I ran into Ryan and uh-" she began to stammer.

"Ellen, It's uh, it's fine," Nick said, appearing totally un-bothered. Probably because he wasn't, even in the slightest. "It's cool. Actually, I should get going. I was just stopping by."

"Oh, I'll walk you out," she said, before telling her boyfriend-slash-ex boyfriend that she'd be right back and following Nick out the door.

"I hope this doesn't change anything between us," she said. "Cause I'd still like a friend."

"Ellen, it's fine," he said, just as he was about to leave and glanced between Ryan at the bar and Ellen by the door. "You guys should be happy. I'm happy for you."

* * *

"Mike got back to me," Charlotte spoke as Nick returned home. "Got an ID on our blackmailer."

"Oh?" Nick asked as he took a seat on Kayla's desk chair. "Who is it?"

"Vincent Daniels," she announced proudly. "Guy would like to be called a journalist, but really he's not. I guess he was in Paris this summer too. Street cameras found him walking into the same store three times that sell burner phones."

"Best of all," Lucas added. "Mike got us some dirt on this guy...lots of dirt actually."

Kayla looked relieved. "Okay, so what do we do?"

"Text this guy, tell him you wanna meet with the cash tomorrow..." Charlotte smirked. "And then we take him down."

* * *

"You really wanna know how it happened?"

"Yeah," Henry nodded. "Yeah, I do."

She held his hand tightly. Not in that girlfriend sort of way, but in that trying to gain enough courage to say the words way. Taking a breath, she moved back some hair from her face with her free hand and finally spoke.

"It wasn't on purpose, if that's what you were thinking. It was an accident. I hadn't been sleeping well, school was getting really stressful and then..." she trailed off and looked as if she would shatter into a million pieces as she breathed.

"And then what?" he prodded gently.

"Max," she uttered the name. "He uh, he got shot...he's in a coma," she finally managed to say.

"But...I haven't heard...no one has..." Henry questioned. He would think that something this big would have come out at some stage, Thomas Hamilton's son being shot and put in a coma wasn't exactly something that happened everyday.

"Oh, my father made sure of that," she replied, sardonically. "He paid a lot of money to make sure no one found out."

"What happened?" Henry whispered.

"He was in a bad place, you know? Getting high...all the time, he owed some guys for...I don't know what it was. But he didn't pay them back, he left a bar one night, drunk, stoned out of his mind and they shot him," she spoke with pain in her voice but refused to cry. Like she had used up all her tears before and all Henry wanted to do was be there for her and say it would be alright.

"The ambulance got to him just in time," she added. "They had to put him into a medically induced coma to save his life, but now...I guess he doesn't really wanna wake up," she finished. "I found out the night we broke up. I know it wasn't your fault, but between that and the. the picture and...I was getting so worked up. I needed the pills to get to sleep," she trailed off for a moment. "I guess it was too much."

Henry nodded his head and tried to soothe Ashley. Despite the fact she wasn't crying, he knew that she was a mess on the inside. He didn't say anything because he knew her well enough to know when she needed him to comfort her with words and when she needed him to say nothing at all. As she rested her head on his shoulder, he took it as one of those times when she needed him to say nothing.

He knew Max and though they'd never been close, Henry knew he was a good guy. Ashley's mother died from a short, but severe illness when she was seven and after that, her father had become extremely distant with both her and Max. His absence, both emotionally and physically (as he preferred to take as many business trips as he could) left a thirteen year old Max to take care of his sister. They had always been close, in fact one of Ashley's reasons to stay in New York for college had been to stay close to her brother. But as he got older, everything seemed to hit him at once when he started doing drugs to escape pressure from...well everything.

"It's okay," Henry murmured softly to Ashley. "It's okay."

* * *

"I cannot believe, we had to come to Brooklyn," Lucas sneered as he wondered whether he should have worn a hazmat suit into this borough as the three watched Kayla sit by herself at one of the cafe tables. She kept glancing at her phone as Charlotte told her to stay calm.

The meeting was at 1 o'clock. It was 1:05 when he finally arrived. Tardy. Vincent Daniels was in his mid thirties, balding and desperately trying to cover it up with the big sweep across his hair, he wore cheap sunglasses, faded jeans and a worn polo. Clearly, this guy didn't have money, which is why he was trying to blackmail a sixteen year old girl. He sat down, opposite her and smiled a smile which irked Kayla.

"Alright," he began. "Where's the money?"

"First thing's first," she tried to remain calm. "Pictures."

He produced an SD card, in a plastic case from his bag, but held it away from her. "Not so fast. You will get the pictures when I get the money."

Kayla nodded, appearing to understand. "I thought you might say that."

At that moment, Charlotte, Nick and Lucas all began advancing towards the table, seats "conveniently" available for them all to sit across Mr. Daniels, who suddenly seemed to lose his aura of confidence.

"I thought I told you to come alone," he snarled.

"Oh, I don't think you're in a position to be telling anyone what to do," Lucas smirked.

"I have the photos," he retorted.

"Oh yes, the photos," Charlotte smirked. "I'm sure they'd make a wonderful story for you to tell your children at bedtime."

Vincent's eyes widened in horror. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh," Nick feigned innocence. "I'm sure little Bryan would love to find out more about it. Perhaps tonight at bedtime."

"Or Little Jamie or Rita if you'd prefer," Kayla threw in.

"Wha-wha how?" he now looked credulousness.

"How did we know what?" Kayla joined in the smugness. "How did we know you have about five kids running around who have no idea who their father is? I guess the tabloids don't pay to well huh?"

"According to this," Lucas produced a folded piece of paper from his pocket. "Your oldest is almost fourteen years old, and to add to that all your other kids...you owe a _lot _of child support, Mr. Daniels."

Now he looked like he was going to pass out.

"Now, we have a lot of connections, we could go straight to a judge with this, who would determine you owe...Nick do you mind calculating?" Charlotte asked.

"Not at all, that would be about...almost five hundre-"

"Okay! Please don't tell anyone!" Vincent came to his senses and started pleading that he didn't have that kind of money.

"Well then," Kayla replied. "We'll make this simple for you. Destroy any evidence you have, make sure it never sees the light of day."

"And if it does, you will have one big lawsuit on your hands," Charlotte added.

"You're going to leave New York," Nick spoke. "You're going to pack your things, disappear to somewhere else and leave us alone."

"If we catch you back or if those photos ever see the light of day, there will be consequences," Lucas continued.

"And we're really good at payback."

"Yeah, yeah, you got it," the man stuttered and rubbed the back of his neck, tossing the SD card onto the table as he prepared to flee.

"You have twenty four hours to leave the city or you will have a case," Kayla crossed her arms over her chest as Vincent picked up his stuff and essentially began sprinting out of the cafe.

"You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us," Nick spoke finally as they watched him sprint out.

"Well now that that's over with," Lucas adjusted his jacket. "Please tell me we can get out of Brooklyn."

* * *

Oscar didn't know how to describe what he was feeling. He'd started reading _Inside _but _Inside Out _had caught his eye when it was marketed as the "tell all sequel". Every word, these people had been his friends and now...his father had slandered them all.

Some worse than others.

His mother's chapter made him wonder how she'd ever loved him at all. Why she'd marry someone who'd write these things about her.

_Serena is nothing. She's a golden shell, give her love and she'll do anything you want. With daddy issues like these, it's not hard to push the right buttons and once you do, the most powerful girl on the Upper East Side has no power at all._

Oscar Humphrey was not Nate Archibald's biggest fan, far from it. But after reading this, he had to wonder why his mother had even married Dan Humphrey in the first place. If someone had done this to him, he could never forgive them.

Since finding this out, at the library, his ride home had been very occupied and once back in Brooklyn, he shut himself off into his room to read just what his father had wrote. After this, how the hell was he supposed to believe he wouldn't hurt his mother again?

"Oscar," he heard his father call, knocking at his bedroom door. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, Dad."

Dan opened the door anyway. His son had been holed up in his room since he'd come home from school on Friday and seemingly refused to come out. "Come on," he sat down on the bed. "Is something wrong?"

"I don't know, Dad," he shook his head. "You tell me."

"What?" Dan found himself speechless as he saw what his son was reading. It was something he should have prepared for. "Oscar I-"

"You said you loved Mom."

"I did."

"You wouldn't have written this about her if you did!" Oscar snarled. "Are you going to do it again?"

"Oscar-"

"Are you?"

Dan tried to gather himself. "You don't understand. You don't know how things were before."

"Then why don't you explain it to me," Oscar stood his ground.

Dan shook his head. "I loved your mother," he started. "I did, very much. I wrote a good chapter too."

"But this is the one you chose to publish," he shook his head. "And you're going to do it again."

"I'm going to write the truth. Oscar, you don't know how it was then," Dan tried to argue his point of view. "They all just saw me as the poor kid from Brooklyn, I had to-"

"You had to what? Prove that you were better? Because if anything, you proved that you were just like them."

"Your mother was different then," Dan was nearly pleading. "I...was different back then."

"No," Oscar shook his head. "You're exactly the same."

* * *

Takedowns and successful schemes always ended in celebration. Once they were out of Brooklyn (ASAP) they drank and laughed and celebrated. Charlotte made sure Kayla knew that she would want the specifics one day, but for tonight...tonight was about celebrating.

They were about to have another round of champagne when Kayla's phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Kayla, it's Chuck Bass. You're mother's in labor."

"What?" Kayla gasped. "My dad said she's not due for another week."

"Well apparently the baby had other plans, we're at St. Francis."

"We'll be there soon."

The four arrived at St. Francis Hospital and were greeted by Chuck, Blair and Lilly who were in the waiting room, with Nate and Serena in delivery. Lilly greeted her grandchildren as Lucas began to converse with his father over his proposal.

"When did Aunt Serena go into labor?" Charlotte asked her mother.

"She dropped by the atelier earlier today. her water broke just as we were about to leave," Blair replied, before taking on another look, a more bemused look. "I hear you've been scheming recently. Anything I should know about?"

Several long hours later, Nate emerged from the delivery room, proudly.

"It's a girl," he told everyone as he was congratulated and everyone entered the room to meet the newest member of the Archibald family.

Serena was tired, but happy to see everyone as they came to see the baby who had been named Lucy, 5 lbs, 3oz. It was a happy occasion for everyone. Nate had tried to call Oscar several times but he hadn't picked up. The phones of the teenagers went off again to reveal a Gossip Girl blast.

_**Spotted: O, **wandering the streets of Brooklyn, looking lost. Is he looking for a new idea for a book or just looking to get away from everything. Oh, **Lonely Boy**, why do you choose to act like a scribe when you could live like a prince?_

Kayla excused herself from the room for a moment and dialed his number. The phone on the other end rang for a while before he finally answered.

"Hello."

"Oscar. Hey, Mom just had the baby."

"Oh," he sounded surprised. "I ah, I though she wasn't due till next week."

"Yeah, she wasn't. But I guess the baby came early," there was a pause in the conversation. "It's a girl."

"That's nice."

"Um, yeah...listen, we're at St. Francis Hospital if...if you wanna come visit."

"Okay, thanks," he hung up.

* * *

Another few hours passed before everyone decided that it was getting kinda late. Lilly had gone home a little earlier with Kayla, who'd been worn out over the secrecy and scheming. Blair had to do a little last minute finishing before her fashion show and Chuck had some discussing to do with Lucas, so the three decided that they would go home together a little later. Nate was going to stay at the hospital, leaving just Charlotte and Nick to get home immediately.

In the limo they sat and talked and laughed.

"So how does it feel to have a baby sister?" she teased him lightly.

"It's ah, not my first time, Char," he reminded her with a chuckle as they pulled up in front of the Bass Townhouse. Nick got out of the limo and walked Charlotte to the door. He would get dropped off afterwards.

"Can I say something that's gonna make me sound really, really cheesy?"

"Since when did you ask for my permission, Archibald?" she replied with a devious twinkle in her eye.

"Okay, hanging out with you the past couple days, just us..."

"Scheming."

"Yeah," he chuckled lightly. "It's ah, it's felt really nice." Nick was wondering why he was fumbling over words. Maybe because he'd never talked to her like this before, because before she was his best friend's sister and now things felt...different. "Kind of like when we were kids, you know."

She tilted her head to the side, as if she was pondering his statement. "Yeah," she admitted. "It has been pretty nice, just you and me hanging out."

Nick had no idea what came over him next, but he suddenly felt some surge of confidence go through him, maybe it was the way the moon was shining on her and...God, now he sounded way too cheesy. He took a step forward and kissed her on the lips. She seemed surprised at first, but after a moment, he felt her kiss back before he finally pulled away.

His gaze went to the floor, before meeting her eyes again, she looked equally as stunned as he felt.

"I ah, I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I-I got carried away and-"

He didn't get to finish as Charlotte placed her hand on his neck and kissed him back. This time, she wasn't sure what had come over her. For so long, he had just been her brother's best friend and now...Now everything felt different as his hands were on her waist. Finally, they pulled away, gazing at each other, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

"I-I should, ah...I should get home," he tried to get the words out.

"Yeah! Um, yeah," she spoke in response, barely managing to get that out as she turned to enter the Bass home and he went in the direction of the limo.

* * *

**AN: Hope you enjoyed that. In case you're wondering Nick/Charlotte is actually something I had planned out from the start so let me know your thoughts on that and on the story in general. Please leave a review, it's really great to hear what you guys think.**


	7. The Brunch After

**AN: Hey everyone. Sorry that this took me longer that usual to get out, but I've been busy with school. This chapter I'm trying to balance several aspects going on so please bare with me. **

**Hope you enjoy and please leave a review. **

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Brunch After**

_Hey Upper East Siders,_

_Last night there was a new addition to the Archibald clan, this, of course, was directly preceded by **C, L, K **and **N **having a man run out of Brooklyn. Such chips off the old blocks. **O** is no exception either, last night he made the trip across the bridge to stay in the UES, I guess he just wants to be in too. And what of **H**? He's been staying off my radar since his arrival back in Manhattan. But careful, **H**, don't get too boring. _

_XOXO_

_Gossip Girl_

Charlotte Bass had never fully planned out her life. Not the way her mother had. Of course, that went awry so it was probably just as well. But she knew of certain things. She would be Queen, she would attend an Ivy, she have a prosperous career in whatever she chose to do and boys would certainly be a come and go thing.

So why did her short kiss with Nick Archibald feel so permanent?

Why was it that when his lips met hers, it felt as if she was...she was...well now she couldn't even think of the words.

For so long, he'd been but her brother's best friend, her best friend's brother and while she couldn't deny that the week or so of scheming and plotting with him had been fun and they had many childhood memories together...that one kiss changed everything.

_'Actually it was two,' _she reminded herself. _'You kissed him back.' _

Ripping off another piece of bread, she tossed it into the duck pond in the late morning of central park. The sun was out, shining over the beloved pond as the ducks swam and quacked and devoured the pieces of bread she tossed into the water. Charlotte threw in the remaining half of the bread, only to realize she was fresh out.

Archibald was already rubbing off on her. She pouted as she watched the ducks eat the bread, knowing that she had no more to feed them with.

"Boy troubles, sis?" a familiar voice came from behind.

Charlotte turned from her spot on the bench to see Henry smirking. He was dressed in a dark blue blazer, pale lavender shirt, white dress pants and a paisley yellow ascot to top it all off. It was a tad overdressed for Central Park, but alas, in the Bass family there was no such thing.

"What are you doing, here, Henry?" she asked.

"I come bearing bread," he replied, as he held out a fresh loaf of white bread. "Dorota mentioned you were feeding ducks."

"I thought it would be wrong to deny them their breakfast."

"Ah, my sister the humanitarian."

She rolled her eyes, but took the bread from her brother and continued feeding them.

"So, again, boy trouble?"

"You'd be the expert on that, wouldn't you?"

"My sexual tension radar is unmatched..." he mused with a smirk. "You and Nick Archibald, really?"

Charlotte nearly dropped a piece of bread as her eyes widened. "How did you know?"

"I told you. My sexual tension radar is-" she cut him off with a glare, to which he only smiled in response. "You're forgetting just what it is my bedroom window overlooks."

"Peeping from your window?" Charlotte shook her head. "Isn't that a little middle class of you, Henry?"

"Actually I heard the car pull up. I was checking to see who was home," he explained coolly. "So are you guys..."

"No!" Charlotte answered quickly. "I mean we're not really anything, it was just a kiss."

"Which has clearly left you affected, Char. Spill."

She huffed, unfortunately for her, Henry knew her too well.

"It was just a kiss."

"Have you talked to him since that?"

"No."

"Ah, the old kiss 'em and diss 'em. I'm familiar with that particular play."

"Not one word of this," she warned her brother in a way not dissimilar to when she threatened her minions.

"Of course," he replied seriously, but she could see the corners of his mouth about to twitch into a smirk.

* * *

Nick tossed the ball into the air for what must have been the twentieth time as it landed in the hoop. He ran his hand through his hair as he dribbled the ball back to his starting position and took another shot.

What was he doing?

Why did he kiss her?

Why did she kiss him?

And why did he want to do it again?

He sighed again and took a shot, this time, the ball bounced off the rim and back at him. Whatever, he was a lacrosse player anyway. Nick shook his head. What was going on with him? As far as he'd heard Jacob McAlister was going to back his father in the next election, Ellen's father and he saw no reason Diana's father wouldn't do the same.

Everything was going well.

Except he couldn't stop thinking about how soft Charlotte's lips had been and how her face looked in the moonlight. God, was she always that hot? For God's sake she was his best friend's sister. Nick was pretty sure there was some guy rule he was breaking with that. But he couldn't stop thinking about it. About her, about that kiss.

Frustrated with himself, he tried for another shot as the ball rolled of the rim.

"You seem off your game," came an all too familiar voice.

Nick turned around to find Lucas standing behind him, a dark red collar sticking out from his tracksuit jacket. _Oh perfect. _Nick forced a smile and passed the ball to his friend, who took a shot from his place. The ball went in.

He really was off his game.

"So how's the baby?" Lucas asked out of politeness as he recovered the ball.

"Coming home today. Oscar's staying at the penthouse, had a fight with his dad."

Lucas rolled his eyes. He had to admit it puzzled him how anyone from the Upper East Side (or at least partially in Oscar's case) could never constantly be in a fight with Dan Humphrey. Between all his anti-corporation, love of exposing and 'this-is-what's-wrong-with-America' attitude, Lucas doubted he could control himself from wringing the guy's neck.

"I don't blame him," Lucas replied coolly. "Your parents coming to brunch at the Empire?"

"Nah," Nick shook his head. "I think with the newborn baby, they've got their hands pretty full for the day."

* * *

Sunday brunch at the Empire had a buzz in the air. The non-arrival of the Mayor of New York and his lovely wife, due to the newborn baby left a vacuum of conversation, but Blair Bass would die before she let one of her brunches be unsuccessful.

Brunch was held away from the Bass townhouse this week due to what Mr. and Mrs. Bass had refereed to as 'an unexpected accident' to do with Mrs. Bass' grand piano. Knowing the couple, no one in the Upper East Side asked for more details. However, Nick and Kayla were still in attendance, Oscar, opting to stay back at the Archibald home.

Kayla was still holding back on details about her 'mystery man' and Charlotte would have pressed harder had she not been distracted by the events that transpired less than 24 hours ago with the person across the table from her.

Henry, had stood for a drink, when he ran into someone he'd heard of many times, but had rarely ever seen. Dressed in a dark business-formal suit, with graying dark hair was the one and only Thomas Hamilton. Or as Henry knew him, Ashley's absentee father.

"Mr. Hamilton," he greeted politely.

"Henry Bass," he acknowledged putting his hand out as the young Bass shook it. "Aren't you attending Yale?"

"I missed the city," he replied.

"Ah, well, one can always expect homesickness on their first year away," he responded offhandedly.

"I'm graduating next year."

"Oh!" the older man realized and tried to brush off his mistake. "Well, I've been in Hong Kong the last few days, I don't quite remember what year it is," he attempted a joke. It didn't suit him. Mr. Hamilton was far too serious for jokes. It didn't escape Henry that the man didn't converse about his children.

"How is your son, Mr. Hamilton?" Henry knew he was hitting the man where it should hurt. Ashley had specifically told him that her father had done all he could to keep his children's...conditions out of light.

"My son?" he raised a brow.

"Yes, I haven't heard from him in a while."

"Maxwell in fine," he replied quickly. "On a bit of a retreat, clearing his head. I haven't a clue when he'll be back."

Henry nodded curtly as an older woman walked past and Hamilton caught her gaze. He cleared his throat and decided it would be best to scurry off.

"It was good to see you, Henry. If I don't get the chance, tell your parents this is a lovely brunch."

"I will," Henry barely managed to say as he hurried off.

* * *

"Who is that?" Lucas tipped back a drink as a beautiful girl strolled past their table.

"Isn't that Marcie Travers?" Nick furrowed his brow, vaguely recognizing her and squinting a bit as he tried to match the name to the face. "I thought she took off for LA last year?"

"Hmmm," Lucas managed to say. "I think I'll re-introduce her to the city," he began to stand up.

Nick rolled his eyes. "Come on man, she's just some girl who used to go to Chapin."

"A hot girl who used to go to Chapin," Lucas corrected his best friend, as he adjusted his jacket and straightened his tie (it was already straight, but it was a habit of his). "I'll see you later Nicholas." He passed his sister walking in their direction , giving a vague nod of recognition as he took off after the girl. Once he was out of sight, Charlotte took her brother's seat.

"Hi," she greeted Nick.

"Hey," he smiled back. God, she looked beautiful. Her dark curls fell perfectly past he shoulders and she was dressed impeccably and...Oh my God, where did all this come from? They both knew what this was about. "Is there, ah somewhere we can talk?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "Follow me."

He followed her lead, as she led him past the kitchen and towards an empty room past a hallway. It wasn't far from the room they were in, but it was very private, as she snagged an upturned glass under the counter of the bar and removed a key from it. They entered the room, it was pretty standard, like any other room in the Empire, Charlotte took a seat and so did Nick.

"What is this room?" he asked.

"My Dad had it put here, for..._reasons,_" she replied. "I think it's best not to go into details."

"So, uh...last night," he managed to get out, his right hand jumping to the back of his neck in order to try calm his nerves.

"Yeah," she glanced down before looking up at him. "Last night. Look, you acted on...impulse," she paused. "I think it's just best if we pretend it never happened."

"Never happened?" he furrowed his brow.

"I mean, unless...Unless you wanted someth-"

"No!" Nick quickly cut in. "No, it's fine. I mean I have you know, stuff going on and you have, ah, stuff going on," he stammered. "Different stuff. I mean...It's probably best if we act like it never happened."

"Nothing happened," she confirmed.

"Nothing," he shook his head. The air of tension didn't waver as he stuck his hand out. Glancing down at it, she met him in the eyes again and shook his hand. The shake lasted a few moments, before she finally let go.

"We should go back."

"Yeah."

* * *

The latest addition to the Archibald clan, Lucy Serena Archibald had been crying non-stop for at least an hour. This did not sit well with her elder half brother, Oscar who sat in his room at the Archibald Penthouse, doing his favorite thing, brooding. Just what was his father planning to do? And what was he supposed to do about it.

The high pitched whining finally got to him as he threw himself out of his seat and headed to the baby's nursery. Lucy was in her bassinet, screaming her lungs out, as Oscar gently lifted her up and tried to soothe her. It worked. Oscar managed a small smile as he rocked his baby sister, she looked like the both of them.

"Oh, thanks for getting her."

Oscar turned around to see his step father entering the room.

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry, I thought she'd be asleep for a while, I put her down for a nap," Nate said. "Where's your mom?"

"In the shower."

"Ah," he nodded. "Well I can take her, if you want to get back to uh..." Nate extended his arms forward.

"Yeah, great," Oscar handed the little girl back to her father and headed back to his room.

"Hey Oscar," Nate called out, still rocking his youngest daughter in his arms.

"Yeah?"

"I heard you had a fight with your dad," he paused for a moment, readjusting Lucy in his arms. "If you want to talk about it..."

"I'm fine, Nate," Oscar replied firmly. "I just need a few days to think it over."

Nate nodded in understanding. "Whatever you need, you're always welcome here."

* * *

Kayla couldn't believe her message.

**_A: _**_Turns out I'll be in New York in a week or two. Hope to see you. _

He was coming here? She sighed heavily. What was she supposed to do? She knew that it was in her best interest to keep their relationship under wraps, but she didn't want to break his heart. Dilemma, dilemma.

Forcing a smile onto her face, she texted back.

**_Kayla: _**_Sounds great! Tell me when you get in :)_

This was getting way too close. Yeah, they had gone out, had fun together and finding out who he really was didn't change what had happened between them, but it certainly affected how it would go forward. She'd decided to return to New York and keep a distanced relationship with him. But now he was coming to town.

Now her not so dirty little secret had to come out.

Shit.

She didn't want to break it off with him, but at the same time she needed to be loyal to her best friend, to the Basses who were like a second family to her. Now, she had to face the music.

But how would she tell her best friend that she'd been in a relationship with the Crown Prince of Monaco? Kayla knew as well as Charlotte and their brother's did that their parents had done things in their youth they regretted, but they'd always try to put it behind them. But Blair Bass' -albeit brief- marriage to the Prince had not been easy to keep, to shield her children from a particularly low point in her life.

She sighed deeply, placing her phone back in her purse. So where to go from here?

* * *

Brunch was of course, a success when Nick and Kayla decided to head out, they were on their way out the door when nick remembered he didn't have his jacket, promising to be back, he hurried to the room Charlotte had led him to, luckily it was still open as he made his way inside, taking a quick glance around to see if he could find his jacket.

"Nick?" a familiar voice called, he turned around, to see Charlotte coming out of the restroom.

"Char, hey," he smiled. "I, ah, I was about to leave. I left my jacket here...I think."

"Oh, right, I saw that," she nodded, and pointed to a chair in a far corner, his jacket a little folded.

"Thanks," he replied, as she handed it to him. "Something's been on my mind, actually."

"What?"

"When I went to see Ellen McAlister, she was with Ryan Baxter. It, uh, it looked like they were gonna get back together or something."

"Yeah," Charlotte replied a little softly. "They really like each other, they should be together."

He nodded in understanding. "Yeah, they should. I mean, just because they made one mistake, it doesn't mean they shouldn't be...happy."

"I agree," she nodded, feeling herself drawing closer to him.

And just like their last conversation never happened, their lips met. This time, there was a slight familiarity to it, which only made them draw closer to each other. Nick pulled Charlotte in, finding himself unable to pull away, not that Charlotte had any objection. When they finally pulled away after what seemed like forever, but also too short, they simply gazed at each other.

"I, um," he managed to stutter out. "Maybe that whole this never happened thing wasn't such a good idea."

"Yeah," she nodded. "Yeah, maybe...Well, it did happen. Maybe we can move forward...knowing this happened."

"Is that...that what you want?"

"I think it is," she nodded. "But maybe we could keep it under wraps. You know, take the pressure off?"

"Yeah. That sounds...that actually sounds really good."

In the distance, he could hear Kayla calling his name, seeking him out. When he realized she would trace him here, he turned to Charlotte.

"I should go, but um, I'll see you," he smiled and kissed her once again, his dark blue eyes never once leaving hers.

"See you, Archibald."

* * *

Once brunch was over and everyone proceeded to head home, Henry stopped over at the club before heading home. It was empty, given it was the middle of the day, but Milo was up, examining the place, a manila folder tucked swiftly under his arm. Milo dressed fairly casually, a dark green button down shirt, sports coat and pale colored pants.

"I got it," he said, casually upon seeing Henry.

"The other partners agreed?" Henry questioned. He knew that he could do great things with this place, but the other guys didn't know what he was capable of.

"Took some convincing, but they did," Milo nodded. "One of the guys, Mitchell Harris was actually thinking about selling his stake for a while."

"Why's that?"

"He's getting married," a look of pure disgust sprung upon Milo's face. "Something about wanting to have a nice, normal job or family business or some bullshit like that," he sneered, handing Henry the folder.

Henry began flipping through the documents, the accounts, the property, the transfer of shares into his name. But a figure caught his eye.

"This says I'm only getting twenty percent."

Milo shrugged. "That was the best I could do. That's all Harris has in this place. There are still two other guys who have stakes here, none of them were really willing to budge and I'm sure as hell not selling _my_ stake."

He scowled and put the folder down on the bar. "I have big ambitions for this place, Milo. Twenty percent is not enough."

"Well then, _nephew,_" he drawled out. "I can't help much if the other guys don't want to see any of their stake. What does it matter anyway? We have majority ownership."

"Are you trying to say you're always going to back me?" Henry didn't look convinced.

"When I think it's the right call."

He still wasn't satisfied. "I called Judge Tourney this morning," he explained. "I pretty much got a way to get that whole underground operation of yours legalized. But if twenty percent is all I'm getting, I may just tell his honor to forget it."

"I don't know what you want me to do, Henry."

"Nothing," Henry swiped the envelope off the counter and headed out. "I'll do it myself."

_**Spotted: H** leaving** M's **club in the wee hours of the afternoon. I know, it's a little early to be drinking, but something tells me this wasn't a leisurely visit or familial obligation. What's the deal with Kyan? Send me the deets. Oh, **H**, glad to see you're back. After all, nobody likes a boring Bass._

* * *

**AN: Sorry this took so long to get out, but I'll be on holiday soon so hopefully I can update more frequently. This chapter, I hope was alright, I'm trying to balance the Charlotte-Nick relationship moving forward, Henry's expanding story (yeah I know his has been pretty boring so far), Kayla's 'dilemma' (even though her blackmailer's gone) and Oscar's relationship with his parents (I know it was pretty brief though). **

**I am hoping to fit some Chair into next chapter. Please review and tell me what you think, I really do appreciate them.**


	8. The Queen Wears Waldorf

**AN: Yep, an update on time, courtesy of my term break. I hope you guys like this chapter, I am doing my best trying to juggle each characters plot per chapter so I hope I did alright. Please leave a review and enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Queen Wears Waldorf**

"Morning Bass," Blair Bass greeted her husband as she strolled into the dining room of the Bass townhouse. It was time for everyone to get to work and to school, but Chuck and Blair had made it a point everyday since the kids were little to have breakfast as a family.

"Good morning, my love," he greeted back with a smile, taking her hand as she strolled past his seat. "You look beautiful as always."

"You don't look too bad yourself," she smiled back.

Chuck had a copy of the Wall Street Journal open by his plate, but ignored it and pulled his wife in for a kiss instead. Not letting their lips part for a second, Chuck pulled Blair down, so she was sitting on his lap as they kissed.

It may have actually gone further had they not been interrupted by a voice.

"Ugh," a disgusted voice said, entering the room. "You two have children, keep it PG." It was Lucas, with Charlotte and Henry following suit into the room.

"How do you think any of you got here?" Blair replied as she got off Chuck's lap, straightened her dress and went to her seat.

Charlotte rolled her eyes as she took her own seat. "Don't you have a room to do this in?"

"Actually we have the whole townhouse to do it in," Chuck raised his eyebrows and smirked. "As a matter of fact, we ha-"

"Ewww, Dad," Henry scrunched up his nose. "No, okay? I have to get back to Yale today for an assessment and I do not want that... image stuck in my head while I am sitting it."

Everybody chuckled lightly, as the settled down to have breakfast. Blair and Charlotte were engaged in conversation, discussing the fashion show for tonight, where Charlotte would be walking down the runway as a model. Honestly, modelling wasn't her number one career choice but the experience and the exposure would be good for her and it would certainly open more doors for her future career options.

"You've seen the outfit haven't you?" Blair asked. "J has put on the finishing touches, you'll be the envy of every girl sitting there. It is fashion week after all and who better to model for Waldorf Designs than you," she finished with a smile.

"Thanks, Mom," Charlotte smiled. "I'll be there by six."

Henry was the first to leave, not wanting to be tardy, he kissed his mother on the cheek, gave his father a pat on the shoulder and bid his younger siblings goodbye and he took his bag for the day and headed to the car. Once his chauffeur, Lawrence had placed his bag in the car and he was in, Henry promptly took out his phone and the manila folder he'd taken from Milo yesterday and speed dialed six as he flipped through the papers.

"Mike. Yeah, it's me. See what dirt you can get me on Cody Fishpine and..." he flipped to the next page. "Raymond Coles."

* * *

"I'm late," Oscar scrambled for his things. Strangely enough, both Nick and Kayla had gotten up on time, before him and had headed to school earlier, since Nate's meeting was in the same direction. Serena, was still on maternity leave and Nate hadn't wanted to leave, but due to his hopes for reelection next term he had to go and promised to be back as soon as possible.

It was probably the baby crying all night. Oscar had always been a light sleeper, much lighter than his siblings so every time the baby woke up, well so did he.

"Don't worry, sweetie, you'll be fine," Serena told him.

He managed a smile as he was about to head into the elevator. "Thanks Mom. Bye," he called out as he stepped in.

Oscar checked his watch again, tapping his foot anxiously. Okay, he really was going to be late for school. When the elevator finally dinged, as he hit the ground floor, he found himself face to face with the person he wanted to see the least.

"What are you doing here, Dad?" he sighed.

"You haven't been answering your phone."

"I have been answering my phone, I just haven't been answering your calls," he retorted, as he tried to get around his father and out the door.

"Hey! That's not fair," Dan protested. "You didn't give me a chance to-"

"Explain? Explain what?" Oscar scowled. "How you humiliated the so called love of your life and your so called friends? You humiliated your own father, for God's sake." He started to head towards the door.

Dan tried to grab his son's arm in an attempt to make him explain but Oscar shook it off. "You need to hear me out."

"I'm late for school, Dad," he replied, shaking off his father's grip "And unlike you, I don't plan to sell out everyone close to me to make it in this world, so I better get going." He took one last look at his father and almost stepped out of the building before turning back for a moment. Dan hoped his son had a change of heart, but instead he called out to the doorman.

"Hey! Don't let this guy in," he directed and the doorman nodded in understanding and began to try escort Dan out the door.

* * *

"Hey you're coming to my mom's fashion show tonight, right?" Lucas asked his best friend as they walked through the school.

"Yeah, of course," Nick answered coolly.

"Who you bringing?" he smirked. "Diana or uh, what's her name," he snapped his fingers trying to remember.

"Ellen."

"Yeah."

"Neither, actually," he replied nonchalantly as he put his hands in his pockets.

Lucas stopped walking and turned to his friend. "Really? So who?"

"Nobody," Nick replied. Besides, since his and Charlotte's decision on the terms of their relationship -despite the fact they were somewhat unclear- he didn't really want to go to this thing with anyone but her. And, added to that the fact she was modelling, he couldn't bare to go with someone else when she was all he was going to be thinking about.

"Going stag, Nicholas?" he looked amused. "That's very unlike you."

"Well, I'm trying something new," Nick answered. _Yeah. Dating but not actually dating your sister. _

Lucas' forehead creased for a moment as if trying to connect the dots in his head, before finally stopping his best friend from walking off. "Wait a minute, wait a minute. Is there...someone else?"

"What? Why would you think that?" Nick asked confused. Honestly he was confused. How had Lucas come to that conclusion so quickly?

"If neither of these girls is going, it means my sister's scheme has come to an end, in which case, you should have no trouble finding a date," Lucas explained as they walked.

"Nothing's up, man," Nick shook his head. "I just really felt like going by myself. Besides I'm not really by myself, you're obviously gonna be there and so is my sister-"

Lucas stopped him walking again. "Hey," he looked at his friend dead in they eye. "Look at me."

"What?"

He eyed Nick suspiciously and in the most serious tone asked: "Did you smoke one without me?"

"Dude, you're being ridiculous," Nick replied with the straightest face in the world before they both burst out laughing and continued on their way.

* * *

"Oh, C, I am so excited for you!" Kayla squealed on the steps of the Met. "I'm sure you'll be amazing."

"Thanks. You will be there, of course," she spoke.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"You're going to look so beautiful," chirped Lisa.

"Thank you so much for letting us be there," added Marie.

"I mean forget Callie Romane, Charlotte Bass is the real thing," Carly added.

"To be fair Callie Romane did trip, break a heel, tear her dress and land face first," someone added, causing chuckles.

"Ladies, please. Enough about the past and more on the future," Charlotte directed. "You are all to be there on time, tardiness is not accepted at a Waldorf event."

"Is your grandmother going to be there?" Kayla asked.

"I doubt it. She's gotten so used to Paris, I think she avoids coming to New York now just so she doesn't have to leave."

* * *

Henry's assignment finished at two, so with a couple of free hours before he had to get back to New York to see his mother's show, he was able to relax and go over everything from Kyan. It was a relief when Mike finally rang him back while he was in his suite.

"I've got everything on the guys you asked for," he replied. "I've sent it all to your email."

"Thanks." Henry hung up and logged onto his computer, to find his email full of sources on Cody Fishpine and Ray Coles. Sitting at his computer, he clicked his shoulders back and smirked. "Let's see what we have."

Leverage for Ray Coles was easy. He had a loan on a condo in Park Avenue that he wasn't paying off fast enough, if the bank were to suddenly decide they needed the money back, he may be keen to sell his shares in Kyan. Bank of America. Henry smirked, the Bass family had enough contacts in there so it seemed like a simple operation. The loan was taken out nearly six years ago and he wasn't paying at a fast enough rate.

Cody Fishpine on the other hand was less of a fish shot in a barrel. Other than a DUI a few years ago, the guy had nothing to get leverage on and no dirt. It wasn't ideal, but Ray Coles shares would bump him up to a nice thirty if Henry felt nice enough. Picking up his phone once again he made a call.

"Hello. Miranda Bell's office."

"Hi, this is Henry Bass, could you please put me forward to Miss Bell," he addressed.

"Please hold." The hold music came on, Henry surfed through his emails for a few moments before a familiar voice came on the other side.

"Hello."

"Miranda, it's Henry Bass," he answered.

"What do you want?"

"Is that really the way you should be talking to an old friend?" Henry smirked over the phone.

"An old friend?" he could practically see her eyes rolling over the phone. "I wouldn't go that far, Bass."

"Well, I would classify what we did in Aspen that one winter break would make us pretty close, wouldn't you think?"

"You're heinous."

"Yes, I am," he replied, steadily. "I need your help with something."

"Why would I do anything for you?"

"Because I helped take care of Tucker Rollins," he replied nonchalantly. "You owe me."

She grumbled, but Henry could already tell that he'd won. "Fine. But after this we are even."

"Of course."

"So what do you want?"

"I'll be in New York in a few hours. Perhaps we could meet then."

* * *

"This is a beautiful non-relationship," Charlotte moaned between kisses.

"Mmm, you're telling me," he replied pulling her closer to him, as he leaned back and met her lips again. He had convinced Kayla and Lucas he had extra lacrosse practice and Charlotte had convinced them that she had a club to run, Ivy applications and all.

Their lips continued to meet, a make out session progressing the the back of the car. Until the car stopped abruptly, causing the two occupants in the back to almost fall off the seat. They were at the Bass Townhouse.

"I guess we're here," Charlotte pulled away from Nick and straightened her attire.

"Yeah," he kept his hand holding hers. "I'll see you tonight."

"You better be there, Archibald," she spoke in a slightly bitchy tone, but with an innocent doe eyed stare on her face.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

They shared one more kiss that would have gone further, had the nagging voice saying hat she really had to go kicked in and Charlotte left the car.

She entered the Bass Townhouse, greeted by Dorota who promptly took her school things. However, her mother was already home, which she found strange, seeing as she expected her mother we be at work with the fashion show on tonight.

"Mom?"

"Hello, Charlotte," she greeted her daughter with a hug.

"Hi Mom," Charlotte replied. "I didn't expect you to be home so early."

"Charlotte, dear," a voice greeted from the room. Charlotte was a little shocked to see the older woman here, usually her grandmother preferred to stay in Paris and usually only dropped by for the holidays.

"Grandma Eleanor," she greeted. "Is Grandpa Cyrus here too?"

"Unfortunately not," she replied. "Aaron had a debuting piece at a gallery in Paris so he decided to stay. He sends his regards, though."

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "Not that I'm not happy to see you," Charlotte quickly added.

"Well, you didn't really think I'd miss my only granddaughter's debut into fashion, did you? At a Waldorf Designs event, no less," she explained with a smile. "By the way dear, you're hair is a little bit...out of place."

_Gee, I wonder why._ Charlotte thought sarcastically, but managed a smile. Okay, so her hair was a bit tousled, nothing she couldn't pull off though as a 'more casual' sort of look.

"She's fine, Mother," Blair interjected. "Charlotte can wear her hair however she likes."

"Oh, of course. I'm just saying," Eleanor waved off. That was her. Critical as always. "But I'm sure you'll be wonderful tonight," Eleanor kissed her granddaughter's cheek. "It will be wonderful, you're the youngest model on that stage. The youngest model in New York fashion week since that Romane girl," her grandmother dismissed, sarcastically. "That certainly went well."

"Charlotte will be wonderful, Mother," Blair replied a little more forcefully this time. "I'm sure of it."

Charlotte managed a smile at her mother. "Thanks Mom. I should get started on some work," she turned to her grandmother and though she loved her, she had to force the smile a little more. "I'm glad you're here, Grandma Eleanor."

* * *

Charlotte had no idea why her nerves had suddenly decided to get to her. What timing too, at her mother's fashion show. A totally packed Waldorf Designs event, where her critical, though probably well meaning grandmother would be watching.

She glanced down, examining her outfit. As the last model to walk down the runway, she had a little more time than the others she was dressed in a dark purple dress that went up to just above her knees with a thin black swirl design popping up every so often on the dress. There was a black ribbon wrapped around her stomach area and it was accompanied with a long silver chain necklace, pointed black five inch heels and a black bowler hat with a silver flower piece on the side of the hat's rim.

"Charlotte," Blair came up to her daughter during last minute checks and smiled brightly at her. "You look so beautiful," she looked like she was about to tear up with pride.

"Thank you so much for this, Mom," she replied, trying to calm her nerves.

"It's no problem. I know you'll be wonderful," noticing her daughter's slight unease, Blair saw a look in her daughter's eyes not dismilar to one she had when she was sixteen. The trying to please Eleanor Waldorf look. "Put your grandmother out of your mind. I am always proud of you, your father and I both are," she added.

With that, she took off, back to her place in the front row. Though her mother had helped her calm down somewhat, she felt something in her stomach...it was annoying her, it was...fluttering. Oh good God. She could not mess this up for anything. She could not become the next Callie Romane.

The music began to play and lights began to flash on the outside stage, Charlotte felt her nerves increase by the second as the first model stepped out onto the runway. What was happening to her? Where the hell did all her calm and confidence disappear to? The pace at which the models were going didn't help either. It was just a matter of time before it got to her.

"Char?" a familiar voice questioned backstage. It was a voice who she hadn't expected, but was all too happy to hear.

"Nick," she looked at him. He was dressed in a pinstriped grey suit, blue shirt with a white collar and black tie. He looked...really good. "What are you doing here?"

"You look...amazing," he spoke with awe evident in his voice. "I wanted to wish you good luck, not that you'll need it. You'll knock 'em dead, I know you will," he smiled encouragingly, but upon seeing her near forlorn face, he frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," she answered too quickly.

"Char-"

"What if I screw up?" she blurted out. "What if I embarrass my mother and my family and my grandmother and…Oh my God, I cannot become the next Callie Romane, I cannot become some joke in the fashion industry." There were only three models left to go, her nerves were still prevalent.

"Charlotte," he took a step closer and softly stroked her back. "Hey, hey, look at me," she met his eyes. "You are Charlotte Bass, you are the most beautiful, capable...powerful, scheming, amazing girl I have ever met." She managed a small laugh at that. "Your mother believes in you, if she didn't you wouldn't be here," he took her hand in his own and kissed it softly. "And I believe in you too. I know that you can do this."

Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, her confidence was suddenly revived and a proud, confident Queen B smirk came on her face, as she let go of his hand and pressed her lips against his. Seeing as she was the last model to go, it wasn't a worry of anyone seeing them. When they pulled away, she met his eyes, full of something she hadn't seen in them before.

"So go out there and show everybody just how beautiful and amazing you are," he kept her hand in his.

"Charlotte," the woman called. "You're up."

She turned back to him, to which he only smiled reassuringly. "I know you can do this."

Shooting him a final smile and look of thanks, Charlotte stood up straight and strutted past the curtain and onto the runway, applause filled the room, the music blaring and lights shining and two dozen cameras flashing as she posed on the end of the runway before heading back, her walk just as confident as before. In that moment, all the fluttering vanished and she was the fearless Queen.

* * *

With the actual fashion show finished and the after party beginning, Charlotte emerged from backstage, not in her modelling dress of course, but just as beautiful. She instantly caught sight of her family and strolled over.

"You were amazing, Charlotte," Chuck smiled proudly at his daughter.

"Of course she was," Blair replied, equally as proud, her husband's arm around her waist. "I knew you would be wonderful."

Everybody expressed how great they thought she was, even Eleanor who Blair was happy to hear had good things to say of her daughter. The last thing she wanted was for Charlotte to have the same relationship with Eleanor during her teenage years like she did. The Archibalds were present that night though and they all came to congratulate both Charlotte and Blair and so did Lilly.

"C, you were so incredible," Kayla was gushing now, and the minions quickly approached, making sure not to skimp on praising their Queen and thanking her for the opportunity to sit second row at a Waldorf Designs show.

When she stepped out for a moment to get a drink, Nick was right there, ready to congratulate her on his own. As she swiped a glass of champagne from the bar, Nick took a seat next to her, smiling brightly.

"You were...spectacular," he spoke with a grin on his face.

"Thank you," she turned to him. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"You're Charlotte Bass, of course you could have," he chuckled. Nick suddenly felt the urge to hold her hand and kiss her like he had before, but adhering to their previous decision, he stopped himself from doing it in public. "You look amazing, Char," he spoke, unable to stop himself from that one. "You really do."

* * *

Henry's meeting had gone well to say the least. He knew that much when his phone rang with an unknown number and he had to excuse himself briefly to answer the call. It was Ray Coles he needed money to pay back the loan on his condo and with Henry having offered a generous amount for Mitchell Harris' shares, he was more than happy to for over fifteen percent of what he had.

Thirty five percent. Henry couldn't help the smirk coming onto his face. It was his mother and sister's night but they weren't the only ones who had just ran headfirst into success. Looks like everything was going well, but he couldn't help wanting just a little bit more on one thing. Whipping his phone out again, he speed dialed six and held the phone to his ear.

"Yeah, Mike. Me again. I need everything you have on Max Hamilton, you're going to need to dig deep," he took a quick glance around before saying the next part. "Thomas Hamilton always has his bases covered...thoroughly, so do whatever you have to."

Hanging up, he placed his phone back in his coat pocket and adjusted his jacket and headed towards the bar, ordering a glass of celebratory scotch. Spotting movement behind a curtain like cloth draped over the walls towards the backstage area, he walked towards it, scotch in hand. Easing his way in, Henry peeled it back to find a gap for an emergency exit and his sister, complete with Archibald and all.

"Wonderful spot," he commented, breaking them out of their...whatever it was. "Secluded. Romantic too."

"Don't you knock?" Nick shot back, momentarily forgetting where they were.

"On cloth? Yes it's very effective," Henry drawled in response, taking another sip of scotch.

"We were just uh," Nick tried to explain.

"Don't worry," Henry waved off. "I know and I won't tell anybody but I have to say, you two may want to consider doing this in a much less populated and, ah, photographed area. The way things are right now, me telling someone isn't your biggest worry," he smirked.

"We are just..." Charlotte trailed off for a moment, finding slight irritation at her brother's smugness. "Just keep this to yourself, will you?"

"Of course," his smirk never once wavering. "Have a good night, sis. Both of you."

* * *

**AN: Hope you guys enjoyed that, I had a lot of fun writing it. This chapter mainly focused on the Charlotte/Nick relationship. At first I wasn't sure how to do the reveal or when to do the reveal, but I do have a plan in mind so stay tuned for that.**

**Please leave a review, I understand that not everyone has the time but they really are appreciated. **


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